there is no appearance that his tyranny should soon finish for hardly doth he know that any one is against his Interests but he exiles him or puts him to death As Aronces had thus sayd they saw enter in the vessel where he was the tenth part of the slaves that the Prince of Carthage had taken and that he had sent as an homage to the Phenicians which gave a thousand praises to him in receiving them but Clelia hearing the Prince of Carthage say that those slaves belonged to Aronces she put an obliging war to him in demanding an exact account of his conquests it is rather for me replyed he gallantly to demand of you an account of yours which are assuredly more illustrious than mine for I do not doubt but if I saw all those which have been inslaved by the attractive lustre of your eyes since my departure I should see them in a far greater number than those the Prince of Carthage attributeth to me at least I know you may vanquish the vanquisher of others If you enterprise it After that Amilcar approaching Aronces demanded of him shewing Clelia to him if he did not fear to be shipwrackt at the Port and the conversation being become generall I gave my verdict as well as Amilcar But Madam I must ingeniously confess unto you she is the fairest nature ever made for wonder and in her alone are concentred all those graces may be imagined to compleat a perfect beauty the brightness of her hair adding a lustre to her sparkling eyes and the circumference of her face framed after such exact rules of proportion that no pencill is able to delineate her mouth for shape shaming the imitation of the best artists and the liveliest colours though tempered with the hands of the most exquisite Painters are but dull shadows and imperfect Representations in comparison of that perfect mixture of red and white which tinctures her complexion but she is furthermore imbellish'd with all the Charms of a tempting beauty for she hath a gallant and modest ayr a lofty yet lovely Countenance not any imperious deportment but such an affable behaviour that she commands both Love and Respect from all those who behold her and though she hath a firm and bold spirit above those of her sex she hath such an engaging sweetness that none can resist and that grandeur of spirit which makes her despise the greatest perills if she be threatned with them hath imprinted a certain timerous modesty on her visage which heightens her unparallel'd Features Clelia being adorned with all these superexcellent embellishments of Nature gave so much admiration to Aronces Horatius and to me when wee saw her in that vessel which was going to Phenicia that she was the sole subject of our discourse the Remainder of that day for Horatius he spoke of it less then me for besides that naturally hee doth not love to declare his thoughts I have known that he felt himself so wounded with Clelias beauty at this first fight that he would not hinder his spirit from being wholly possessed with that fair person whom he alone contemplated without communicating his Resentments to any persons as for Aronces he was more happy then Horatius for as he resided in Clelius his house he passed there the rest of that day and all the night but he lodged no more there because the Prince of Carthage would absolutely that he should lodge in his Pallace and that he should be depending on him and that Aronces having nothing but what Clelius had given him was not sorry to find such an illustrious way to subsist by his own virtue receiving the benefits of so great a Prince In the mean time after Clelius had imbraced Aronces with a Paternall affection he had likewise much joy to see Horatius which was son to one of his dearest friends and prayd Aronces to love him as if he had been his Brother and commanded Sulpicia and his amiable Daughter to take a particular care of him for when Clelius entertained Horatius of the present Estate of Rome he found such a Sympathy in his thoughts and that he so much hated Tarquin and the fiery and cruell Tullia his wife that he loved him much more for it so that Aronces who very much esteem'd Horatius and which was very much beloved by him performed all that he could imagin to render his Exile less rigorous but as freindship is not alwaies dispensed by exact Justice though I had less merit then Horatius I had a greater part in the affection of Aronces being his entire Confident so soon as we arrived at Carthage we knew the next day Maharballs love for Clelia without knowing the Prince of Numidias which as I have already told you made it appear but to her which caused it but as he soon noted the credit that Aronces had with Clelius Sulpicia and their admirable Daughter he endeavoured by all meanes to gain his friendship in which without doubt he had much part and since that time as Liberty is much greater at Carthage then Rome the Prince of Numidia Aronces Horatius and I were almost alwaies with Sulpicia and we had the Advantages not to be often importuned by Marharballs presence because as he nigh sustained the weight of the Republique it was impossible for him absolutely to renounce his duty to satisfie his Love and relying on his Authority he easily dispensed with all those petty cares he thought unnecessary And since none imbarqued from Carthage without his provision he did not fear Clelius would go from thence nor that any man of quality in the City durst be his Rivall as for the Prince of Carthage he turned eyes another way Amilcar seemed to have two or three designs instead of one and the Prince of Numidia was not in estate to dare to oppose him openly he lookt upon Aronces as one unknown which durst not turn his eyes towards the Daughter of a man to whom he owed his life and he considered Horatius and I as two strangers which would not stay at Carthage and which would not make an enemy of him which should protect us Clelia being by these considerations importuned by him and we were more happy for though Maharball hath Spirit it is an incommodious spirit he having a formed eloquence with an insupportable slownesse and which would enforce attention from his auditors as if his discourse contained much ingenuity who believes himself to be above all he knowes who boasteth himself to be of a great house great spirit and great heart and who is the violentest man in the world but in despight of all his violence the Prince of Numidia was his Rivall t is true he was in so discreet a manner that no person perceived it but Clelia only and he had perswaded Maharball that the reason which so often induced him to Sulpicias house was that he was charm'd with her Language and indeed the Prince with so much assiduity studied the Roman language to
of Clusium and that of the Prince of Perusia was without doubt the way to put him in a capacity to give law to all Etruria and to dispute the power with the famous Vulturnum and with proud Rome it self but knowing the resentments the King of Perusia had against the King of Clusium his Father she was strongly perswaded that he would never consent to hearken to any terms whilst he was in prison or that if he did hearken to it he would never give his Daughter to his Prisoner 't is therefore said she to him we must contrive a way to render you happy and to give the Peace to two Estates which cannot subsist in War Alas Madam what expedient may a Prince find overwhelmed with so many different chances as I highly esteem your vertue I will propose to you a proposition which according to all appearances may effect happily your design if you follow my advice But generous Porsenna pursued she before I tell it you you must solemnly swear to me and do not promise me that which you will not inviolably keep I promise you Madam said he to her that I will never violate my word I give you and that I will not make use of the priviledge that may be granted to Prisoners not to perform their promise but likewise promise me that you will not command me to disrespect you or not to affect Galerita on the contrary replied Nicetale I intend to put you in a possibility always to love her and to permit her to love you innocently till the expiration of her life but to make this design succeed happily I must steer my course so that you may depart from prison without any suspition that I was privy to it you must therefore said she not go to Clusium for fear you should not be there Master of your self but you must go to the King of Cera who remaining neuter during this War is very fit to be a Mediator between the King of Clusium and the Prince my Husband but before it 's put in execution you must promise me that in case by your solicitations and address you can neither conclude a Peace between these two Princes nor to oblige them to consent that you may espouse Galerita you will come back to reassume your chains for it is not just knowing your valour and good fortune in the War I should put such a valiant man as you in the head of an Army which must fight against Mezentius for though he is sometimes violent and unjust I am his Wife and ought to espouse his interest against all the World think therefore if you are capable to accomplish my desires as Porsenna was amorous and Nicetales proposition was equitable he promised her with joy to perform all the desired on condition she would likewise promise him to use all her power that he might espouse Galerita so the agreement being fully concluded they resolved that this Princess should return to Perusia and he that commanded the Castle absolutely depending on Nicetale should give him leave to escape and Porsenna through an interest of love was obliged to wish the absence of his beloved object as Nicetale desired passionately Peace should be concluded before the beginning of the Spring she hastened her return to accelerate the execution of her design but as she now look'd upon Porsenna as a Prince which should espouse her Daughter she permitted them to have some particular conference the day which preceded her departure whilst she entertained below a Lady of Quality which had arrived there that Morning so that Porsenna in this manner bid adieu to that young and fair Person the Grandeur of whose Spirit equalling her great Beauty made her to tell things most judicious to the Prince whom she was about to leave for after he had made to her a thousand Protestations of fidelity she told him she would not oblige him to so many things as the Princess her Mother had in case that he could not make a pacification between the King of Clusium and the Prince of Perusia she would only desire him not to bear Arms against the Prince her Father but Porsenna having answered her that if he was free honour would force him to fight for his Father and both love and honour equally engaging him to her if he could not conclude a Peace he would come back to re-assume his Irons which seemed to him much lighter than those with which love had chained him in fine Madam this separation was so tender and sensible and those which have related this Adventure say that it was scarce credible that so young a Person as Galerita should have power to draw her self from his conversation with so much judgment and address and assuredly this particular entertainment much encreased the Princes affection In the mean time Nicetale after she had reconfirmed her promises to him and he had renewed his to her returned to Perusia leaving a secret order with him which commanded the Castle who was the Son of the Princess Galerita's Governess to favour Porsenna's escape in four or five days but so privately to act it that he might not in the least appear culpable of it this man over whom his Mother had as much power by her address as by that which nature gave her disposed himself to hazard his Fortune in hopes to advance it and executed it so happily a few days after the Princess Nicetale was returned to Perusia that Porsenna saved himself as if he had suborned some of his Guards who went with him neither did Mezentius know any thing of Porsenna's love to Galerita nor the Intelligence of Nicetale with Porsenna In the mean time this Prince according to his word went to Cera from whence he sent to the King of Clusium to intreat him to endeavour to conclude a Peace with the Prince of Perusia by proposing his Marriage with the Princess his Daughter and he to whom this imployment was committed being a man of Quality very fit to perform this Commission Porsenna fully instructed him of all the reasons which might oblige the King his Father to consent to his Propositions charging him that if he would not effect it to tell him that he was not free but in appearance and that he would return to the Prison of the Prince of Perusia when his hopes were frustrated of espousing the Princess Galerita and to give Peace to two of the most considerable Estates of all Etruria at first the King of Clusium was strangely irritated against the Prince his Son because he went to Cera and not to him and vented his anger against his Proposition but Porsenna having secretly wrote to those which had some credit over this his Father's Spirit that they might induce him to make Peace they knew so well how to represent to him that his people were weary of War and the advantage that the Marriage of his Son with the blooming youth of the Perusian Princess would bring him that in the end he
extinguish it so Love hath need of entertainment to increase it but as this spark is fire though it casteth no great heat nor light so Love at first is Love though it is but newly begun It is certain replyed Aronces that Love as friendship may be born in an instant which usually is preceded by many good Offices but I am perswaded that that Love which hath no sudden beginning and which is advanc'd by great esteem and very much admiration is more strong and solid then that which is tumultuously born without knowing whether the person beloved hath either virtue or spirit for I have heard say that there are men which become amorous of women with whom they had never changed aword and there are some sayd Sozonisba which have loved women having never seen them and which have even loved a picture for those added Barce I think they may be rather rank'd with those which have no reason then in the rank of those which have Love Indeed replyed Clelia t is not so strange to see a man very amorous of a fair picture as of a woman which hath neither Beauty spirit or virtue as there are some which are For my particular replied I I find the fair Clelia hath reason and that it is the greatest folly imaginable to love that which is not amiable I am of your opinion replyed Horatius but be likewise of mine and confess that all great passions have a violent beginning and that there is nothing which more demonstrates an ardent and durable Love then when it is born in an instant without consulting our reason I casily am of your opinion replyed Aronces that one may begin to have love at the first sight of an amiable person but I will not confess that those which have this first thought of passion more violent than others love more or longer for 't is rather an effect of their temperament than the grandeur of their passion so that ordinarily those which are of a hot nature love not so constantly as others because not having power over their own dispositions they must necessarily change Love as other things and it consequently follows that those which love the speediest are not the most constant But in fine said Clelia it matters not whether they change or not 't is not of that I intend to speak for that I maintain is that one cannot have Love at the first sight they see a woman I assure you Madam replyed Horatius I know a man which from the first day he saw one of the most admirable persons in the world had I know not what in his heart which entirely possest it which gave him joy and inquietude desires hope and fear and which in fine rendred him so different from himself that if it was not love he had in his heart it was something which very much resembled it I know another replyed Aronces without suspecting Horatius his Passion for Clelia which hath long time had esteem and admiration without loving a marvellous person 't is true I am perswaded that the reason which then hindred him from it was that he believed himself not permitted to love that which he should adore but beginning to love replyed Clelia hath he left adoration for if so I find that which he adored ought to wish he should not love it these two Resentments are not incompatible Madam replyed Aronces and though we might adore things we love not because they surpass our knowledge we do nevertheless love that which we adore for my self replyed Barce between those two thoughts I should love him better which belongs to a mistress than him which appertains not but to a Goddess and the tenderness of the heart is so to be prefer'd before the admiration of the spirit that I put no comparison between those two things indeed added Sozonisbe tenderness is a quality so necessary to all manner of affections that they cannot be agreeable or perfect if it is not there I comprehend well said Clelia that we may say a tender amity and there is a notable difference between an ordinary and a tender amity but said Sozonizbe I have never heard of a tender amity and I ever sigur'd it to my self that this affected and significative term was consecrated to perfect amity and that it was only speaking of it we might sitly imply the word tender so many men use it now replyed I that we know not a truer signification of it I would therefore hinder said Clelia that that word which signifies a thing so sweet rare and agreeable should be prophan'd though Celeres hath said every one useth it For my particular replied Sozonizbe I promise you always to make use of it if you can make me understand its true signification I promise the same thing added Barce for I ingenuously confess unto you that though there passes never a day but I tell some of my friends that I love them tenderly and some friends accost me in the same Language I confess it may be that it appertains not to me to use it As I am perswaded added Aronces that there is a species of an amorous tenderness which puts as much difference between the Loves of those which have it or have it not as ordinary tenderness puts to amity I shall be infinitely obliged to the fair Clelia if she will define tenderness and decipher how I may know it and what value it sets on friendship to the end I may prove in the sequel of it that tenderness joyned to Love much augmenteth its estimation as I have naturally a tender Spirit replyed Clelia I think it appertains to me more than any other to speak of tenderness and that Barce with all her Spirit cannot do it so well as I. I have already confessed replyed that fair person that I do not well know how to make use of this word neither do I precisely know whether I have any tenderness or not therefore I shall be infinitely obliged if you please to tell me the difference between an ordinary and a tender amity it is so considerable replyed Clelia that I may very well say there is less between the indifferent amity than between these two For in fine that which hath no tenderness is a kind of a tranquillous friendship which gives neither great contentments nor great inquietudes to those which are capable of them they have even friendship in their hearts without expressing any sensibility depart from them without being melancholy they think not of them if they see them not they render them courtesies without great joy and they receive them without much acknowledgment they neglect all petty cares the evils of those they love touch them not generosity and ostentation hath as much part in all they act as friendship they have a certain Lethargy of heart which makes them not feel the joy to be beloved of those they love they put little difference between the conversation of other persons and those to whom they have
without having any beauty and without youth she is considerable above all those which are great in Capua and that she is at all Feasts publick and private but that which is most strange is that she is continually in conversation with all the young persons of quality and with all the fairest Ladies In effect Those men which make such a tumultuous garboyl when they find that a fair woman hath her Nose a little too big too little Eyes the Chin too short or Lips too pale and can hardly suffer those which have passed four Lustres have not their eyes troubled to see always Aricidia though she never had any beauty and though she hath fifteen Lustres to count as the Romans or that she can recount near twenty Olympiads according to the calculation of the Greeks you will demand of me Madam without doubt by what charms a person to whom Nature hath refused all the Graces ordinary to her sex whom time hath deprived of youth and whom fortune hath not endowed with great favours for to render her so considerable and so much desired and I shall answer you 't is by a great goodness and by a natural grandeur of Spirit which being joyned to a long experience of the world and to an agreeable humour that without taking care of her self she divertiseth all those which frequent her for as she is without ambition as she hath a great and noble heart that she knows not how to slatter that she is not interested in any manner that she clearly sees things that she recounts them pleasantly and that she knows all that which passes in Capua there is no person which doth nor desire her and when there happens any remarkable occurrence there is no body which wishes not to see her to know that which she thinks says or knows of it so that if she could be in twenty places at one time she might be there she goes likewise every where without being troublesome because she is never in any place but where she is desired Moreover though she hath something in particular in her Physiognomy and very pleasant in her manner of speaking she hath not any pleasantness of profession In fine she hath a certain jovial sincerity which makes her say things which surprise and which please and the truth is that she hath a solid vertue though it is not savage In effect she says things that she thinks not of she sees the weakness of others without contributing thereto and without being ever the confident of any Love she knows all the Loves of the City she blameth the tatling Gossips she flatters not the Gallants she gives pleasantly her opinion of those that pretend to be fair when they are not she endeavoureth to reconcile the differences of families she is in friendship with all the husbands and wives and without doing that but which she thinks she ought to do she pleaseth men which are opposite in all things she is a good friend and is both officious and free all the greatness of the earth cannot make her change her opinion when she thinks she hath reason and to define her in few words I may say Aricidia is a living mortality but a Moralist without sadness and who believes that the pleasantness of innocent Raillery is not useless to virtue but the most incredible thing is that though she knows all the maliciousness the world is capable of she is nevertheless incapable of it and though she hath an infinite spirit she cannot find any invention to prejudice any though she finds a thousand when she would serve her friends In sine Aricidia hath found the art to please and give divertisements to all the youths without incurring any blame for though she is not young she is sometimes at Balls she sees all the great feasts she is in the most gallant walks and the merriest company and Aricidia is composed of so much delight that I may boldly say she cannot be parallel'd and I even maintain that it would not be advantageous for her to be fair for if she were she goes to an hundred places where she would not go she says things that she would not say and her physiognomy which retains more the andacity of my sex than the timidity of hers addeth a far more force to her words and gives a liking to her discourses as I have said already she is so desired in all places that the days should be longer for her than others if she would content all those that desire her Aricidia being then such as I have represented to you came into a house where Aronces and I entred just as she spoke of Clelia to five or six persons which were there and that she spoke of her with earnestness so that when we entred she changed not her discourse on the contrary she no sooner saw us but knowing we were Clelia's friends she addrest her self to us with that familiarity which is natural to her You come very sitly said she to us to maintain my argument against a man you see with me who says that Clelia would be fairer than she is if she was a little more coy Ah Aricidia cryed that man which is named Genutius tell at least to Aronces and Celeres that which I at first said of the great beauty of Clelia before you tell them what I have wished thereto I shall tell it replied she after I have delivered my advice thereupon for I find it so unreasonable that I cannot endure it The beauty of Clelia is so resplendent and perfect replyed Aronces that I cannot well comprehend of what addition it is capable I think added I that without seeking to deny it you had best demand if of Aricidia I voluntarily consent to it replyed Genutius so that she will not conceal the prailes I have given Clelia For to content you replyed she I shall then say that you are of my opinion that all the lineaments of Clelia's face are admirable that she is of a most rare complection hairs very fair of a courteous behaviour and that she is in sine one of the greatest beauties in the world but after that pursued she raising her voice I shall say I do not believe she can ever cause any love in you because she doth not imitate all fashions or to say better all the ill favoured countenances of these which think themselves fair and which do not one action where there is not an affectation which strangely displeaseth but to the end you many excuse him added she turning her self towards Aronces and me I must tell you that I have seen him heretofore amorous of one of those Ladies who frame all their looks who place their hands with art who turn negligently their heads who have an artificial languor or a borrowed joy who fit their lips to the mirrors when they dress themselves and which laugh in such a manner that they shew all their teeth when they be white Ah Aricidia cryed Genutius you
Tenderness which is produced by Inclination hath not need of any conformation Clelia as you see Madam hath not placed any Village along the banks of this River which runs with such a rapid course that there can be no lodging along the shore for to go to new Amity to Tender but for to go to Tender on Esteem it is not so for Clelia hath ingeniously put as many Villages as there are small and great things which contribute to the protection of it by esteem of this Tenderness of which she intends to speak In effect you see that from new Amity we pass to a place called great spirit because it is that which ordinarily begins esteem In pursuit you see those agrecable Villages of pleasing verses amorous and gallant Letters which are the ordinary productions of the greatest spirits in the beginning of Friendship and for to make a greater progress in that way you see Sincerity Great Heart Honesty Generosity Respect Exactness and Goodness which are all against Tender To make it evident that there cannot be true Esteem without Goodness and that we cannot arrive to Tender on that side if we are not endowed with that precious quality After all that Madam be pleased to direct your eyes to new Amity to see by what way we may go from thence to Tender on Recognizance see then I pray you how we must go from new amity to complaisance and from thence to that Village named Submission and which is almost joyned to another called small cares see I say that from thence we must pass by Assiduity to make us understand that it is not sufficient to have that small obliging care which give so much Recognizance if we have them not assiduously From thence you see we must pass to another Village called Empressment and not to do as those slow people which will not hasten a moment what entreaty soever is made them and which are incapable to have this impressment which sometimes so strongly obligeth from thence you see we must pass to great services and for to note there are few men which render such This Village is less than the others from thence we must pass to Sensibility to make us know that we must be lively touched with the least afflictions of those we love afterwards to arrive to Tender we must pass by Tenderness for friendship attracts friendship In pursuit we must go to obey Divine there being nothing which more engageth the heart of those whom it obeys then to do it blindly and for to attain in the end to our desired Port we must pass to constant friendship which is without doubt the surest way to arrive to Tender on Recognizance But Madam as there are no ways which we may not stray from Clelia hath made as you may see that if those which are at new Amity go a little more on the right or left hand they will likewise deviate for if we part from great spirit we go to neglect and we see opposite to that Map that if we continue this deviation we go to inequality from thence to lukewarmness lightness oblivion and instead to find our selves at Tender on esteem we are at the lake of indifferency which you see marked on the way and which by its calm streams without doubt lively presents the thing of which it bears the name in this place On the other side if we go from new amity to take a little more on the left hand we go to indiscretion persidiousness pride mischief or obloquy and instead of finding our selves at Tender on esteem we are at the Sea of enmity where all the vessels are shipwrackt and which by the agitation of its waves fitly agrees with that impetuous passion Clelia would represent she likewise makes us see by these different ways that we must have many noble qualities to oblige her to have a tender friendship and that those which have bad ones can only acquire her hatred and indifferency and she willing to describe to us in this Map that she never had love nor would ever have any thing but tenderness in her heart makes the River of Inclination cast it self into the Sea which is called the dangerous Sea because it is dangerous for a woman to exceed the limits of friendship and she makes in pursuit that beyond this Sea is that we call unknown Lands because in effect we know not what they are and that we believe no person can go further than Hercules his pillars so that in this manner she hath moralized friendship by a pastime of her fancy to make us understand in a peculiar manner that she never yet loved nor could ever receive any Aronces Herminius and I found this Map so exquisite that we perfectly understood it before we departed Clelia instantly prayed him for whom she had made it not to to shew it but to five or six persons whom she desired should see it but as it was not but a simple delight of her spirit she would not have it fall under the censure of those stupid persons which neither know the beginning of it nor are capable to understand the new gallantry but she could not be obeyed because there was a certain constellation which so reigned that though we inttnded to shew this Map but to few persons it made such a noise in the world that there was nothing spoke of but this Map of Tender all the ingenious wits of Capua writ something in praise of this Map either in Verse or Prose for it was an excellent Subject for an ingenious Poem gallant Verses very agreeable Letters and very pleasant Discourses but Clelia said they set too high an esteem on it and there was no person who was not demanded whether he would go to Tender It furnished some such an agreeable subject of entertainment that there was nothing more fit to exhilerate our spirits at first Clelia was angry that there was so much spoken of it for in fine said she one day to Herminius do you think I imagined this spective fancy had any thing pleasant but for our Cabala in particular to become publick and that I made to be seen but by five or six persons which have noble spirits should be seen by two thousand who scarce have any and who hardly understand the best things I know well pursued she that those which know it began a conversation which gain me only time to imagine this Map will not find this Gallantry Chymerical nor extravagant but as there are strange men in the world I extremely fear that they will imagine I seriously considered of it that I have trifled away many days to find it and that I believe to have designed an admirable thing but it is a momentary folly that I look upon as a toy which hath it may be either some gallantry or novelty for those whose Spirits are well tuned to understand it Clelia had therefore no reason to disquiet her self Madam for 't is certain that all in
am sometimes so ashamed at my being born a Slave that were my Fetters such as could be broken it should not be long before I would break them Oh Sister replied the Princess doubtless you know not what you say for methinks our Sex hath a thousand advantages above that of Men for first it injoys an eternal peace since we are not obliged to go unto the Wars and the same honour which invites Men unto it forbids us Beauty as the Prince of Ameriola well observed is our supreme Prerogative we have the destinies of Men in our hands Also we are dispenced with for taking the pains in obtaining the Arts and Sciences ignorance in us is no fault there is no necessity of being valiant a little wit and much modesty will serve to make a complete Woman but on the contrary to make a complete Man there must be a thousand great qualifications both natural and acquired It is confessed replied Tarquin that there is much wit in your language but for all that I am of the Princess Tullia's mind and had rather be a private Souldier then any Woman For to tell you truly a Souldier may become a King but a Woman can never become free I pray tell me said the Princess Tullia in what condition can we find liberty When we are first born we are not only Slaves to our Parents who dispose of us as they please and make Vestals of us when fancy takes them but we are slaves also unto custom and decency for as soon as reason begins to make us discern things they tell us that we must submit our selves unto the custom and fashion Also we are more miserable at Rome than any where else where the Ladies have a fancy that because the Romans are more valiant than other people therefore their women must be more severe more reserved more ignorant and more solitary it is true as my Sister said that a few good qualities will serve one of our Sex to get much reputation but it is as true also that this is an infinite shame unto us for it is as much as to say that we are not capable of more Oh Madam replied the Prince of Ameriola I must needs be the defender of your Sex against you for I am fully perswaded that Ladies are capable of all the virtues and that they have more wit than we For if we do carefully observe both men and women in places where their education is alike as in the Country we shall find much more wit in the women than in the men and conclude that Nature hath given more unto you than us I do grant all this to be true replied Tullia and to speak in general we have better fancies and fuller of imagination than men but it must be confessed withal that we do want courage and hearts we are contented to be the chief Slave of the house and oftentimes worse used Nay we have not so much liberty as to make choice of our Masters for we are oftentimes forced to marry against our inclinations and it is commonly seen that all the great wit which the Gods have given us is employed only in trivial talk and those who are most esteemed amongst us do make least use of their wit but conceal it as careful as they can and endeavour to be owner of only one virtue which in my opinion is very difficult to be practised Mean time because the world hath a fancy that women are weak aad that they are put to a great deal of pains to keep themselves from loving those who love them they are forced to live with so much constraint and wariness as in my opinion this vertue which is thought so requisite amongst them is no great glory to them Truth is they must set a guard upon their own eyes they must shun the company of those men they like and they must not go any whither alone Lying abroad is forbidden us solitude it self is sometimes ill interpreted and we are so unfortunate that when it is not known what we do they think we are doing ill and we must always have some body to answer for our actions or else they will be ill interpreted So that as the world goes we are born with passions which inchain us for we are not allowed either to love or hate any thing Ambition is unto us of no use obedience only is our share judge therefore whether I have not reason to chuse rather the being a valiant Soldier than what I am and I assure you there is not a day passeth in which I do not envy the Sex of which I am none When I see a man walking alone I envy his liberty when others travel my envy goes along with them also nay some that are angry and can revenge themselves have my envy for men may revenge but women be they never so much wronged must not complain or if they do it must forsooth be so tamely that their complexion must not alter nor their eyes lose their languor as if nature had made us insensible and all by vertue of the Laws of Decency which I assure you I cannot chuse but murmur against and those that made them For my particular replied the Princess I do think my self very happy in the calm mediocrity of my spirit and I find that my Sex hath a thousand advantages over the other since of the virtues the least difficult are required from us and I do find it much more glorious to Reign without force than by violence and that it is the easiest thing in the world to submit ones spirit in matter of Decency It is unquestionable that Ambition is not a passion fit for Ladies but it is a passion so full of tumultuous turbulencies that I think it a great advantage to be without it As every one loves to be arguing according to their own humours replied Tullia sharply so I do not think it strange we should not be of one opinion For as you Sister do find diversion in walking under shades in gathering of flowers in making Nosegays in hearing the birds sing and listning to the murmur of Rivers so I am often tired with that which diverts you The Princess being accustomed to indure a hundred such contradictions from her ambitious sister she turned her discourse another way lest Tullia should have uttered more then she desired to hear for she was accqnainted with the impetuosity of her humour So as insensibly falling upon other discourse they began to talk of Passions and to examine whether Love was a more Noble Passion than ambition and in case both chanced to be in one heart one of them must yield unto the other So as since this question had some congruity with the Fortunes of these four persons because Tarquin was in love with Tullia yet his Ambition required that he should marry the Princess her Sister rather then her and on the other side the Princess loved the Prince of Ameriola yet ambition and conveniency
Tarquin and Tullia was very cautious how he inclined more unto one side than another and lest he should incense Tullia he shewed no greater favour unto Tarquin than unto the Prince of Ameriola and lest he should incense Tarquin he shewed no more unto the Prince his Brother than unto him But in thinking to be very prudent and striving to carry even on both sides he contented neither Tarquin nor Tullia for never were two spirits greater enemies unto all equality than those two And indeed it was most insupportable unto them to see the King favour both alike Mean time since they perceived the intention of Servius Tullus they gave no rest unto the persons whom fortune had tyed them unto for Tullia was continually persecuting the Prince of Ameriola because he stirred no more both against the King and against Tarquin and Tarquin would never let the Princess his wife be in rest purposely to oblige and move her to draw some unto him and her self from that tenderness which the King had over her and would needs force her to negotiate against the Prince of Ameriola So as by this means Tarquin was perpetually acting against his Brother and against his Mistress and he would needs have his Wife act against her Sister and her Lover Tullia for her part her whole thoughts were how to ruine both her Lover and her Sister how to pull the Crown off her fathers head and to persecute her Husband purposely to force him to do all he could against his Brother and against the person he lov'd above all the World and all to throw Servius Tullus out of the Throne But let the Ambitious Tarquin and the Ambitious Tullia do what they could the virtue of these two illustrious persons did not stagger for the Prince of Ameriola never did any thing which could displease the King nor which might anger Tarquin nor which was against the interest of that Princess whom he loved But as for that admirable person her vertue went further for in such things as could not be done without injustice and which were advantageous to her Husband and disadvantageous to her Lover she never medled with them yet at the very same time she bore a most horrible hatred against the one and a most violent affection to the other she served him whom he hated and hurt not him whom she loved 'T is true this was but upon certain occasions where reason required it for when Tarquin moved her by any unjust ways either against her Father or her Sister or the Prince of Ameriola she denied him with incomparable constancy though yet it was always with a sweetness full of respect able to allay even cruelty it self However out of her excess of virtue and knowing that the thoughts of her Husband were extremely violent that he stood not in any fear of the Gods and that he scossed at the Laws of men She did much endeavour to get his love and win some credit in his thoughts in hopes to sweeten the sharpness of his humour On the other side the Prince of Ameriola who ever bore a violent affection unto the Princess and a most horrid hatred unto Tullia did constrain himself and for his own honour because it should not be said he had a Wife who could be accused of any wickedness he did what he could to correct his by a million of examples of goodness and complacency which he daily shewed But it was in vain for these two virtuous persons to think of sweetning the natural fierceness of Tarquin and Tullia for do what they could it did daily encrease So as Tarquin despairing of ever inspiring any Ambition into his Wife and Tullia seeing no likelihood of ever making her Husband to commit any Crimes though to get Crowns by it they began to scorn and hate them and all that were not of their own minds They began I say to love one another more then ever they did and to repent they did not marry each other But the chief reason of their repentance was because if they were married then they should the sooner arrive at their desired ends so as the fire of Love and Ambition both joyning together in their hearts it broke out in such violent and unjust flames as the most innocent talk they had never ended under a promise of committing some crime or other to unite their loves the more firmly Truth is they talked of nothing but things most terrible for sometimes they would say that it was the most egregious folly in Men to lose a glorious design for a little scruple of virtue or out of a fond Chymerical imagination of Glory or for Men not to establish themselves unless by actions of generosity which are absolutely incompatible with the execution of great enterprises For my part said Tarquin one day unto Tullia as I understood by a witty Wench who waited upon this Princess I take this for a most undoubted maxim that those who will keep themselves within those bounds which the vulgar use to prescribe unto Justice and Generosity they shall never arrive at any great matters by the way of Fortune And unless Men will make bold with Laws they shall never exalt themselves above others nor had there ever been any Kings Kingdoms or inequality of conditions And therefore without any further dorring at Laws which those who made them will not keep let us make use only of such as will serve our own turns and never precisely insist upon it whether the thing be just or unjust These generous Artimedorus were the discourses of those persons at that time and many more such which I will not now relate because hereafter I shall tell you of things much more execrable Mean time since they had not always sit opportunities of talking together they began to write very often unto each other And as it is not easie for Persons of their Quality that they should long conceal themselves the Princess came presently to know that there was a secret correspondency held between her Sister and her Husband and the Prince of Ameriola also knew the like between his Wife and his Brother However out of a resentment of virtue and prudence the Princess would not acquaint the Prince of Ameriola with the irregularity of his Wives courses because this persidious Woman was her Sister and because that Prince was her Lover The Prince of Ameriola on his side it was long before he would discover unto the Princess the infidelity of her Husband thinking it would grieve her to no purpose Thus was he in a pitiful Condition for it went against his mind to discover the Crimes of his Wife he could not think of any revenge upon his Brother because he was Husband unto her whom he loved who being all virtue would never have looked upon him again if he should kill her Husband And therefore he did hide the matter as much as possible he could yet since he knew the humour both of his Brother and his
greatest when they have an easie and weak master one who is not absolutely enough nor knows how to make himself feared and obeyed This Sir is the true character of Tarquin unto whom the sirname of Proud was given but it must be said to the shame of all Romans that they all did sit still with their hands in their Pockets and all submitted themselves For except Clelius the Father of Horace and my Father and a man of noble quality called Publius Valerius who couragiously maintained the interests of the Senate and People all obeyed the Tyrant But at last the three first of these whose courages for two years together did resist against the violences of Tarquin they were banished by this Usurper But Clelius is there still as for my Father and the Father of Horace they died presently after they went out of Rome The truth is that in dying my Father did an act so extraordinary as is worthy of a relation which if I do I shall do an act extraordinary also since I needs must make an Elogy in praise of him unto whom I ow my life and since the knowledge of his vertues will help you to hate Tarquin and Tullia the more I shall without any seruple let you know them Be pleased to know then how that virtuous person whose name was Sevilia was one of the fairest women in all Rome and one who after she had been adored and courted by the most illustrious persons in all our City did marry my Father followed his Fortunes went with him into exile with such admirable Constancy as she was not allrighted at the troubles of travel nor the sufferings of such as are exiled For besides that Sevilia had a great and high soul and was so perswaded that her duty was to be preferred before all things she never made any difficulty to do what she thought she was obliged unto especially when it was a duty which amity imposed upon her And her Amity was ever so un-interested as she considered only the persons whom she esteemed never considering her self and if it was more advantagious for them whatsoever it was she consented unto she generously consented unto it so joyning together a great beauty a great spirit and a great wisdome it is not strange if when she went out of Rome with my honoured Father the People should murmur and say openly that Tarquin had banished virtue in banishing Sevilia But to return from whence I digressed be pleased to know that my Father falling sick and perceiving he should not escape it did speak unto Sevilia like a man who feared not the approaches of death so as my mother seeing his Constancy and desiring not to dishearten him by shewing all her sorrow she concealed a part of it and striving with her self she spoke to him with extraordinary Constancy It may be Sir said she unto him that the Gods will hearken unto my Prayers but in case they are not pleased to let me injoy the happiness of your life I would gladly know what your pleasure is I should do and what education you would have me give unto your Children for they being very young added she and shewing me and two others unto him perhaps I may be able to inspire them with such thoughts as you desire Tell me I beseech you in what part of the World you would have me live until they are grown able to follow those ways of virtue which I shall shew them I would have you return unto the place from whence we are banished replied my Father to the end my children may be affectionate unto their Country and may not learn strange Customes which may keep them from hating the Tyrant of Rome I would have you use all the ingenuity you can to infuse into their hearts the Love of virtue and the hatred of vice But Sir replied she should we return to Rome we must be known unto Tarquin we must obey him and ask his permission to enter Consider well I beseech you whether honour will allow me to do what you desire and whether it were not better do die out of Rome then enter into it upon such conditions However said my Father I would have my Children brought up in Rome to the end they may hereafter be Thorns in the sides of the Tyrant and that I may die with so much comfort as to hope I have left behind me Children who will contribute unto the Liberty of their Country as for the waies of getting them thither I do refer them unto your Prudence for I cannot divine what will happen when I am dead After this Sir my Father grew weak upon a sudden and could say no more for he died the same night Sevilia's intentions were to obey her dead Husband as exactly as if he were living and she carried her self with so much Prudence and Wisdom that her kindred and friends who lived in Rome did get her leave to return and bring her Children Tarquin himself not believing that she desired it not that she was any thing obliged unto him for it Yet her firm Constancy was such after she returned to Rome that she would never go and see the cruell Tullia and she hath inspired such generous and noble thoughts into me that I were the most ungratefull of men if I did not publish and acknowledge it I remember one day when she understood that I had been solicited to be one in a Plot against Tarquin and coming to me in my Chamber when I was alone you know Herminius said she unto me that hitherto I have punctually obeyed your Father whose last words you did hear and that I have laboured to inspire your heart with the Love of your Country But to tel you truly my care hath been more to make you hate the Vices of the Tyrant then the Tyrant himself And I have ever thought that attempts to ruine him are not lightly to be undertaken lest by indeavouring to set your Country at Liberty you should bring it more into Slavery Do not therefore ingage your self to no purpose not so much for fear of exposing your life which is so dear unto me as for fear of exposing Rome unto a more cruel servitude for Trees that are onely shaken with the Wind and not blown down will take deep root This Sir was the sage advice of Sevilia which I did blindly follow yet was she but ill recompenced For there was no persecution which that vertuous Person was not put to suffer but the truth is she did not suffer alone for to return unto Tarquin it may truly be said of him that since the first day he ascended the Throne unto this hour he never did any act in which there was not some injustice or some cruelty or some cousenage in it All the Wars which he made have also the same character and one may more properly call the Towns which he hath taken rather thefts then conquests and subtile craft and deceit have the greatest share
yet he had not opened because his mind was wholly taken up with this adventure But he was astonished when at the opening he saw the very same Picture of Pasithea which he had sent her back when he quarrelled with her At the first he believed that these two Ladies were friends unknown to him and that Pasithea had sent Cynesia her Picture whilst he was in the Country but he was not long in this belief for Philiontes told him that they were enemies so as not knowing what to think upon the adventure he was extreamly perplexed For my part said Philiontes unto him I am apt to believe that Pasithea being of no reserved humour she hath giving this Picture unto some new Gallant that hath sacrificed it unto Cynesia But if that be so said Artaxander it must be concluded that Cynesia hath some Lover whom she doth not hate for those who take such pledges do ingage themselves as much as they think to ingage others What you say replied Philiontes perhaps is but imagination which I will think to be but upon an ill foundation for since you are resolved to be in love at what rate soever I must take heed of telling you any thing which may hinder you The truth is replied Artaxander love is an excellent Antidote against wearisomeness in a place where one hath nothing to do for there the sending of a common Message or the receiving of one doth pass for a whole daies work if you be in love you will have no sooner done one thing but you will be thinking upon another your own very musings will please you and nothing doth so sweetly take up the spirits of a gallant love as for great and violent passions they possess them over much For my part said Philiontes I conceive one should either not be in love at all or else love in good earnest for certainly the greatest Passions procure the greatest pleasures It is true said Artaxander but withall they bring with them the greatest sorrows I must confess it answered Philiontes but I am of such an humour as I would have all or none I value not those slight affections which require as much pains about them as a high Passion they will take you up as much time but will not recompence the labour For a thousand of these half loves will never be able to conquer a whole heart and therefore if you will be ruled by me either love not Cynesia at all or else love her in the hight So I am resolved replied Artaxander though it were onely to be revenged upon Pasithea for caring so little to lose me and bestowing her Picture so quickly upon another as it is very likely she hath But whilst Artaxander and Philiontes were thus talking the fair Cynesia slept soundly and it may be well said that by her sound sleeping she prepared new Arms for the Conquest of Artaxander For when she awaked her complexion was more fresh and her eyes more sprightly But in awaking she was all wonder to see a Case about her Arm all set with shining Diamonds in lieu of her own and which was incomparably more rich she no sooner saw this surprizng change but she blusht and raysing her self upon her bed the held her Arm out to the light as if she had been mistaken but the more â—he looked upon this Case the more sure she was that some came into the Chamber whilst she was asleep and did imagine it to be a man thinking such a kind of gallantry could not proceed from any Woman So as a resentment of modesty did for a while raise some inquietudes in her mind Yet upon second thoughts of the adventure she concluded that he who made that advantagious exchange had a noble heart so as she hath since confessed that she was then fuller of curiosity then care Her greater wonder was that she knew there was not any Man in the house but only Philiontes Father who being very old could not be suspected of such a thing She knew very well that he had a Son for she was acquainted with Philiontes And she was not ignorant that Artaxander also had lodged in the house for though she knew him not yet she had heard talk of him But she could not dream of them because she heard say that they were in the Countrey and no speech of their return As she was in this amaze a particular Friend of hers whose name was Cleophila came in to see her and to rejoyce with her that the fire in her Mothers house had done no greater hurt But as soon as she saw her and saw her so fair Oh Cynesia said she unto her it appears by your eyes that you have rested very well for all the trouble of the night But for my part had I been in such a fright I should have hid my self all the day after For my complexion would have been so dull my eyes so hollow and my heart so saint that I should have swounded with fear yet I see that you had not the least fear of being burned It is true said Cynesia I have slept as soundly this night as if no accident had happened or as if I had not changed my Bed And to make it appear true I will tell you of the strangest piece of gallantry that ever you heard of After this Cynesia told Cleophila all the passage and that she might better see the Case she held out her Arm entreating her friend to untie the Ribbond Cleophila had no sooner untied it but Cynesia opened it but she was extreamly surprised at the sight of those Verses which Artaxander had written and so much as that she could not read them aloud but first read them to her self and then recited them unto Cleophila in this manner Night's better than the Day Such Mysteries to discover As you my Love know may And yet not know the Lover Afterwards she looked upon Cleophila who was not less surprised then she And upon serious consideration Cleophila concluded that it must of necessity be Artaxander Not that I can discover it by his stile in Verse said she for he useth to write much better but since they were doubtless writ upon a sudden they may very well be his for I have known sometimes when ex tempore he hath writ no better and therefore I will conclude that it was Artaxander who is the Authour That it was he who saw you asleep and that it is he who is in love with you But Artaxander is in the Countrey replied Cynesia Artaxander then is in more places then one replied Cleophila for I tell you it can be none but he And I must tell you that to conquer such a heart as his sleeping is no small glory to you Alas replied Cynesia as for his heart I cannot pretend unto it for hearts are never taken sleeping I do assure you replied Cleophila that though you had fewer charms then you have yet Artaxander loves you For this beginning of
me to tell Think better with your self and without any oaths or obligations upon me to promise any thing tell me what you would know and afterwards I will see if I can satisfie your curiosity or no. Oh Madam cryed he out If you were clearly ingenious I would promise what I desire but in telling me nothing you have told me all and I have no more to ask you Artaxander spoke all this in such a surly and angry manner that Cynesia being troubled at it and knowing that she had done nothing since she was acquainted with Artaxander which could anger him she promised to tell him truely whatsoever he should ask her Then I conjure you Madam said he unto her to tell me ingenuously whether you ever loved Alphidemon Alphidemon replied she and blusht was of my acquaintance so young as it may well be said we began to see light and be acquainted both together The matter is not replied he when you began your acquaintance but to know whether you loved him or no what caused you to love him how it came to pass you loved him no longer and what reasons did induce you to change your mind you ask me these Questions with such an arrogant tone replied she and they are so troublesome to be answered as if I were not exceedingly indulgent towards you I should not answer them at all but since perhaps you may think I conceal'd some crimes if I do not satisfie your curiositie therefore I will ingeniously answer to your demands and tell you that as soon as ever I began to open my eyes I began to be acquainted with Alphidemon and I will confess that from the very first dawning of â—ny days I had a strong inclination towards him and permitted him to love me And that you may see my great confidence in your discretion I will confess farther that the 〈◊〉 and assiduity of his courtships joyned with my own inclination brought me at last to love him and should have still loved him had he not been guilty of such a lightness as damped my spirit and obliged me to break off with him And the truth is though I well enough knew Alphidemon to be a man of no great reputation in the world yet should I have continued faithful unto him had he been so to me For I must in my own justification tell you that the world doth much wrong Alphidemon and that he is much more amiable then is beleeved to one he loves being certainly very sweet and complacential Oh Madam said Artaxander Alphidemon is less amiable towards those he loves then towards those he loves not because he sees them oftenest but certainly he is not less amiable towards those of whom he is loved and that 's the reason you find him not so disagreeable as all the world doth As I have already confessed that I bore affection to him replied she so I must with the same ingenuity tell you that I do not love him I would willingly believe it Madam replied he but that you did love him is enough to make me the most miserable of all men And such is my mind as I should think my self much less miserable if you had loved one who was worthyer of you then I am to know that you loved the worst and most unworthy of all the lovers you ever had I must confess Madam I wonder how it was possible I should win any thing upon your heart since Alphidemon did for I am nothing like him my making is not like his I do nothing that he does I speak not like him nor are my thoughts the same with his and indeed I know no two greater contraries then Alphidemon and Artaxander How was it possible he should please you and I too How could you love him and me likewise I wonder that the man whom of all the world I most despise should be the man whom you the most of all esteem As for that I shall give you satisfaction said she by explaning the affection which I had unto Alphidemon and the affection I bear unto you for I loved him by inclination only and you by inclination and knowledge Oh Madam said he unto her blot out your inclination to me for I will have nothing in common with Alphidemon I will blot you out of my heart also replyed Cynesia sharply being angry at Artaxanders surly tone for men may render themselves unworthy as well by phantasticalness as by want of merit When I began to love you Madam replyed Artaxander I gave you most hearty thanks for making me in love as for a very great favour But since I understand you have loved Alphidemon I must confess Madam that if you should take me out of love again I should thank you much more for I know nothing more cruel then to be successor unto Alphidemon Since certainly Madam this happy Alphidemon could never have won upon your heart but by telling you a thousand simple and ridiculous fooleries and as many impertinencies and by doing the same things before you which have made all the Town despise him Judge Madam I beseech you what honour it will be unto me to make the same conquest he did Cynesia being much offended at Artaxander though she could not give one good reason to excuse her affection unto Alphidemon yet they quarrelled untill the return of Philira who turned the discourse At his going from thence he went unto Cephisa who as I told you bore such good will unto Artaxander as was likely to grow over tender if she had not striven against that growing inclination So as when Artaxander who loved her very well did relate unto her the squabbles 'twixt him and his Mistress But first since she had not seen Artaxander since Pasithea in her presence had vexed him by calling him the successor of Alphidemon she no sooner saw him come into her Chamber where she was alone but beginning to smile Artaxander said she you are very much obliged to me for though that which Pasithea said unto you before me was enough to make any one laugh yet I did not laugh at all but no the contrary I did chide her for what she had said and almost fell out with her in your behalf I do confess my self obliged unto you replied Artaxander and should be much more if you could make me out of love with Cynesia Oh Artaxander replied Cephisa you do not consider what you say I consider but too much answered he for the more I consider the more I find it a shame to be the successor of Alphidemon And I am so weary of my two last adventures as I am almost resolved to alter my course of life Indeed pursued he if you will give me leave to love you with such a tender amity as shall be a medium between love and common amity and will endure I should turn weather cook and relate unto you all my follies I will absolutely renounce all those high passions which they say do only afford
person only at once and as seldome as possibly I can I am very glad of this resolution said Plotina and laughed for since it is very likely that we shall have some adventures together I shall be safe and need not fear that you will ever tell what passeth between us unless it be under such disguised names as will keep me safe from my dangerous interpretations I do believe said Cesonia that you would not be glad to have your adventure told in that manner but am perswaded that if it were you your self would find out a key for it as you have done unto the History of Artaxander For my part said one of those melancholly Ladies who fretted at her captivity I wonder much at the excessive curiosity which I have observed in all the company to know the true names of the persons whom Amilcar brought into his Story for since it changeth nothing neither in the adventure nor in the thoughts what matter is it whether the persons were Grecians or Affricans And why should so much ado be about that which cannot afford any real diversion for my part if Amilcar had said at the beginning of his relation that he was going to relate an adventure which he had invented I should have hearkened with as much delight as I did and should have more admired the ingenuity of him who could so handsomely invent an adventure Whatsoever you are pleased to say replied Plotina certainly there is more pleasure to be taken in hearing a thing which is known to be a truth then in hearing a known falshood There are some truths replied Clelia which are so unpleasing and so far from probability and there are some inventions so full of delight and likely as it may be said that sometimes a lye is more pleasing then a truth and resembles truth more then truth it self doth Since every one speaks after the rate of their own beauty I will not dispute by reason to uphold that which concurs with his own inclination You speak very well replied Sextus and therefore pleasures are not to be condemned in any whosoever and my humour is such as I will never condemn them in others but I cannot endure that others should condemn them in me For my part said Zenocrates that sometimes I see many things which do not please me but the natural irksomeness which I have to all things which do not delight me cannot make me condemn them but pass by and say nothing For my particular said Amilcar I always condemn those who condemn others Certainly said Aronces one ought to be very reserved in giving his opinion upon the pleasures of others And yet it is so little used replied Celeres that nothing is more subject to censures then pleasures T is true replied Artimedorus but it must be confessed withal that nothing does better discover the bottoms of mens hearts and therefore it is not without cause that some should so accustome themselves to observe them for in solid and serious affairs the mind is close and cannot be known but in matter of pleasures ones hearts and spirits lie open they are discovered to the bottom And by them best are mens manners and inclinations known T is ordinarily seen said Clelia that by little things great ones comes to be known For my part said Amilcar men may be much deceived in judging of me by my pleasures For I take them so many several wayes when fortune brings me to a place where I cannot have them I make pleasures of my business rather then want them The truth is one cannot live without pleasures and those who seem never to enjoy any but are naturally sober and grave most certainly they find delight even in their own Melancholy After this Sextus finding by the silence which Clelia and the rest of the Ladies observed that they thought it time to end discourse he did rise up and went away with Aronces Artimedorus Amilcar Zenocrates and Celeres Who after they had waited upon Sextus to his lodging they went every one to their own But the sweetest part of that night unto Aronces was that when Sextus did rise up and Amilcar had cunningly engaged him in talk with Plotina Aronces found an opportunity of a little talk with Clelia when none could hear but her self So as this pretious opportunity made him pass away the night in much delight Mean while since the siege of Ardes drew on and since the presence of Tarquin was necessary he must prepare himself for a departure Yet he had found Clelia so fair that he could willingly have deferred it some days if his ambition had not been so prevalent with his heart For though Tarquin had never any violent inclinations to love yet he found something so extraordinary in this fair prisoner that see her he must in the Morning giving orders that she should be waited upon very diligently and conferring many favours upon others for her sake Mean while the proud and cruel Tullia knowing it she was very importunate in behalf of the Vestals with Tarquin to release them she caused Verenia to come the second time unto that Prince But he was more moved against her this second visit then the first For he told her that to recompence her endeavours of raising a Rebellion in Rome he would send to seek her brother all the World over that he might send him and all his Family into another World After which preparing for his departure he did depart the next morning Followed by the Prince Sextus the Prince of Pometia the Prince Collatin the young Sons of Brutus two other young men of quality of the Aquiline Family all the bravery of Rome Aronces Artimedorus Amilcar Zenocrates Celeres and many others This departure was so sudden that Sextus could not see the prisoners But Celeres passing for the Brother of Clelia he went to her and carried Aronces with him who had the happiness to bid her adieu But this adue was so sad as it may be said they did onely communicate sorrows and make an exchange of grief For when Clelia considered that she was under the power of Tarquin who did most horridly hate her Father when she thought that this proud Tyrant did too favourably look upon her that the Prince Sextus did the same That the cruel Tullia had shewed no civilities unto her That Aronces was going to the Wars where he might die The Celeres who passed for her Brother might perish also as well as Amilcar and that she was to be left without any help in the hands of most wicked people it was impossible but she should be extreamly grieved On the other side Aronces who more sadly resented the miseries of her he loved then his own never considering what might be said of him in the King his Fathers Court he thought upon nothing but the pitiful condition of Clelia Yet since Tarquin had promised to deliver her when the siege of Ardes was ended this hope did something moderate his
passion and in this humour I can be almost as trivially pleasant in talk as if I proposed to my self all those indulgences which feed the hopes of the happiest lovers Ah my dear Amilcar cryed Aronces you rather affect Love in general than direct it to your particular Mistress and could I be but of your humour I should be much less miserable than I am Being at this point they heard a certain noyse upon the stairs which enquiring what it was they were told that Brutus was come into the house so that Amilcar to give him way to repair to his lodging stayed a little longer with Aronces yet not without a little reflection on Brutus's late staying out for that he could not imagine that one of no greater designs than he could be guilty either of humour or business to detain him so long But he made no longer discant on it and so parted with his friend after he had once more promised him the utmost of his power for Clelia and to engage Tarquin to a sudden return to the Camp that he might endeavour in his absence to carry away this beautiful person and that so as Aronces and she might return to Clelius at Capua to avoid at once the cruelty of Tarquin and the violence of Porsennas But for Amilcar his intent was to pass into Sicily and thence return to the Prince of Carthage his Master knowing well that by reason of the interests which were to be reconciled between the Republique and that Island Tarquin was not to be thought over considerable Rome being not at that time able to wage a Sea-war But as humane prudence cannot with certainty foresee whatever shall come to pass though one be ever so expert in the art of disputing by conjectures Fortune disposed otherwise of things At first sight it seemed likely things would have happened as Amilcar had imagined for he acted his part with so much subtilty that within two dayes he got Tarquin to return to the Camp It is true the former of these two daies proved infinitely-crosse to Clelia for Tarquin came once more to visit her and talkt to her things so contradictory that it was easie to perceive that Hatred and Love caused a strange disorder in the heart of that Prince But as his soul through the whole course of his life was rather accustomed to hate than to love so he insisted more on things harsh and cruel than those which speak sweetness and passion and he much more easily found out words fit to express his hatred than his love so that he omitted no menace he thought would oblige her to deny her self to be the daughter of Clelius and to resolve to satisfie his passion But she being fortified with a rocky constancy a vertue that hath no parallel and an extraordinary faith to Aronces answered him with a confidence might convince him she would not retract what she had said Whereupon having shook hands with all hope of making her change her resolutions and his love coming to act the last part he remained a certain time silent not so much as looking on Clelia as if he were afraid her beauty might soften the hardness of his heart He therefore leaned on a window which opened towards Mount Palatine and musing on the present posture of his soul Love became predominant and flattered himself with a perswasion that if he could subdue the hatred he bore to Clelius he might conquer Clelia But he had hardly entertained the imagination that to gain Clelia he must send for Clelius and recant his own former apprehensions but Love gave place in his turn and Hatred as being the stronger entred on the government of his Soul So that being resolved to depart the Chamber where Clelia was disorderedly he lifted himself from the window and began to go towards the door But not being able to do it without looking on the beautiful person and meeting with her eyes pregnant with a new birth of tears he once more suffered a change in his imaginations and not taking the least time to consult Well cruel person said he to her what must be done to make you flexible must I stifle the hatred I bear Clelius Must I love you as the Daughter of my Enemy Must his banishment be revoked Must he be preferred before all other Romans Speak Cruelty speak and set a price on your heart that I may purchase it for to be short I will sacrifice the hatred I bear Clelius and the love I profess to Clelia but that heart as obstinate as it is shall one day come into my possession I am perswaded replyes the generous Virgin that if you should send for my Father to come to Rome he would not consent and that it were as hard for him to forget the injustice you have exercised towards him as for you to forget your own cruelty Therefore I have nothing to answer you but what I have already for I am not only against you because you hate my Father but also because he hates your tyranny and that I hate it my self Not but that if you could repent you of all your violences the hatred might dissolve from my heart but my Lord that love should take its place it doth not follow that which you desire of me being so absolutely impossible to be granted that it is not worth your bestowing a thought on 't Ah 't is more than enough cryes out the Prince exasperated by the constancy of Clelia and I cannot suffer this obstinate assurance wherein you so much glory How continued he blushing for anger I shall be thought weak for my desire to love you as the Daughter of Clelius for endeavouring to subdue my hatred and offering a horrible violence to all my inclinations and I shall be ashamed to have been guilty of this baseness to no purpose If it be so continued he with a certain threatning action you shall rather repent your obstinacy As I have never desired any thing but what reason and vertue suggests replyed Clelia so my Lord do I never repent nor can all your power ever oblige me to entertain a thought of that nature We shall see that sayes he arrogantly to her when I shall once be able to hate you which I hope I shall if you learn not that I am well Versed in the art of Revenge and that it is easier for Clelius to undergo banishment than for you to suffer the torments I shall assign you When you once begin to hate me replyed Clelia without the least agitation of spirit you deliver me from one of my greatest torments by disburdening me of your love If I were of your opinion replyed he I would struggle with my passion and love you while I live If you take it so answered Clelia I must certainly be the more wretched but you will be never the happier Therefore my Lord if you will trust me hate me since that thence only you must derive your quiet My life
could love you and that he could give over loving Clelia But in others he hath an extream indignation to be obliged to you for his life and cannot but wish himself the possession of her whom you love or at least desires you might not possess her So that Generosity and Love being at continual variance in his heart Reason instead of deciding so great a difference sometimes is of one side sometimes of the other and rather soments than qualifies this civil war But I pray sayes Aronces to him how long may Arâ—â—â— hold out for it concerns me the Siege continue that it may be the longer ere Tarquin return to Rome As for Horatius and my self replies Herminius we shall maintain it so well with the general assistance of the inhabitants who are so resolute that they will not yield till after all extremities that in case the Treaty come to no effect as I verily believe it will Tarquin shall find he hath more work to do then he conceives for his Army is daily weakned and the People of Ardea becomes more warlike by Discipline so that it is probable our Forces will be the greater at the end of the Siege than they were at the beginning though we have no forraign supplyes But while Aronces and Herminius were thus ingaged Amilcar entertained Racilia and her charming Neece and having an admirable insinuation to sift out any thing he had a mind to know and yet do it by way of diversion he pleasantly asked Racilia why the women at Rome were reserved and more given to solitude than in Greece or Africk or indeed in any other parts of Italy Is it that the men are here more terrible or is it that the women are guilty of too easie a resentment of not to say a greater disposition to love or is it that they are threatned more like prisoners If you had known Rome as I have known it replied Racilia you had much more reason to speak as you do for when I was young all the women were as reserved as so many Vestalls they were not seen but in the Temples and upon Festival dayes Marriages were contracted rather upon consideration of the interests of Families than any acquaintance of the persons and mens hearts are so inflamed by a love of Fame that they thought not of any thing else But since the death of the vertuous Tanaquil and the dethronement of Servius Tullus the greatest part of the Roman Ladies are not indeed Romans and women live a manner here as they do in other places But a little farther sayes Amilcar I would fain know why they are also more austere here than in other cities and why they have been yet more then now they are For my part replyed Racilia when she had well considered it I think it proceeds from this that Rome was built by men that had no wives and who came not by them but by forcing them from their neighbours For being at the first afraid lest they should again forsake them they kept them very strictly and used them to a solitarie kind of life which after became customary and decent Certainly replyed Amilcar this decency is very unjust and very rigorous Besides continued he if the women at Rome were not handsomer then elsewhere I should be contented they were mewed up but they are so handsome that it is an affront to the Gods who govern the world to hide the greatest ornament of it and I am confident he who should take the fair Hermilia's opinion in this case would find that her thoughts and mind were at no great distance As I am not handsome enough replied she smiling to oblige you to conceive that I am troubled for the sight of the world so am I to learn what makes you believe there is such an affinity between our thoughts If I durst tell you before the sage Racilia what your Glass tells you as often as you consult it replies Amilcar you would acknowledge I had reason to say what I do and withall perswade your self that there is no Beauty in Rome hath so much cause to quarrel with the retirement of Women nor so much reason to rejoyce that it begins to diminish I know not interrupted Racilia smiling with a certain Majesty whether Hermilia can answer what you say but had it been to my self at her age I should not have been much troubled at it I am so desirous replied pleasantly Hermilia not to do you any dishonour that if I should answer I might haply answer to purpose but being not assured of it I had rather return nothing to such webs of flattery and he that weaves them knows well enough that I am not to be caught with them and haply conceives I should could I not blush at his commendations You answer so nobly in not answering replied Amilcar that certainly I am not the first that told you that you were one of the greatest Beauties in the world But to return into our way said he directing his speech to Racilia I would gladly ask you Madam who are Vertue it self whether you believe these extraordinary retirements are the only pales of Modesty which is so natural to the Sex and whether on the contrary an honourable liberty may not contribute a great lustre to their vertue For what commendation can that woman derve who sees not any either pleasures her or she can affect to have all her life-time a new heart which she knows not on whom to bestow had she a desire and which none desires of her However replyed Racilia there are at Rome as well as other places women that bestow their hearts If it be so returned Amilcar I believe they bestow them unhandsomely and out of time for there being not here so great a freedom of Conversation as there is in Africk they must needs bestow them not knowing on whom and must measure men onely by the outward sight which is the most deceitful thing in the world To be short I know a man in Greece who is well-set handsome of a good stature a good face free in his action ia his carriage noble enough and at the first sight one that seems a man of business and quality for he acquits himself very well of his first complements comes confidently into company departs the same is not discountenanced at any thing and till you ascend higher than the questions of what weather it is or some such piece of intelligence comes off pretty well He laughs with a good grace so it be with others but the mischief is that when he laughs alone he laughs in a wrong time and then are discoverd a low reptile spirit that creeps not up neer a Mediocrity and a soul purely materiall Judge now if some great Beauty who had seen this man onely in the Temples or on some Festival-dayes and should bestow her heart on him would not be finely trapanned Your exaggeration is so pleasant replied Racilia that if all men had such excellent parts
be no more for her service multiplying words so strangely that no other had the leisure to speak In the mean time the Roses and Lillies of her delicate complexion were so disturbed that they were not discernable for her face was enflamed into a deep red the white of her eyes was changed which were inlarged beyond their ordinary size looking disturbedly and scatteringly and indeed as if she saw not what was before her the figure of her mouth was not the same she repeated the same thing twenty times and she seemed rather a mad Priestess of Bacchus than a modest Roman But in fine all this came to nothing for when she had ranted and scolded and vented her extravagances to weariness it appeared she had no reason at all to be angry For when she came down into the garden to entertain us she gave order her chamber should be perfumed against she came in so that in obedience to her commands burning much purfume the glass was overcast with it and the poor Slave who never thought of looking into it perceived it not She thence at last conceived the maid had not done any thing of what she thought and that she was to blame for having kept such a stir But though she was convinced of this yet was there not an absolute calm in her mind on the contrary a certain conscience of her weakness raising a new tempest in her suffered her not to rest free from some tossings of indignation all that day She answered peevishly all that spoke to her she quarrelled with all attended her and that before whoever came to her without ever considering whether it were civil or not nay I am not certain whether she came not so high as to threaten a little Slave she had I was never so much astonished at any thing as to see this strange transport of spirit and withall what an alteration Anger made in this great Beauty You so pleasantly describe this fantastick anger replyed I that though I am naturally somewhat inclined to it I shall henceforward take a great care to correct it in my self though I am of opinion that this inclination of nature ought not to be blamed nay on the contrary hold that Anger in noble and regulated minds is an argument of greatness of courage and integrity For if you look upon this passion in a discreet man you will find it never breaks forth but upon some resentment of injury wherein reputation is concerned and that it is a pure effect of his vertue and speaks the tenderness of his soul the delicacy of his mind and the clearness of his apprehension For how can a man of an upright soul resent a manifest injustice and not carry a heart sensible of it Or he who sets a high valve on his reputation receive an affront without indignation Nay I am of opinion added Mutius that to speak generally the temperament most enclined to choler is that of gallant Spirits Yet all nations certainly replyed I are not perswaded that Choler is a necessary ingredient of Valour on the contrary the Lacedemonians hold that it is prejudicial to it which is the reason that they animate their Soldiers to fight with a sweet harmony to infuse joy and tranquillity into their souls and before battels sacrifice to the Muses to oblige them to preserve their reason entire in sight That which to me seems most inconvenient in choler replyed the sage Racilia is that persons of weak constitutions are more subject to it than others as children and such as are in a declination of age and reason are angry at any thing In like manner sick persons who are not masters of their reason are vexed at trifles such as they are ashamed of when they are in health and lastly women if I may be so free to the discredit of my sex for the most part being not capable of any great fortitude and strength of parts are many times hurried into humorous vexations as appears by the relation of Lucrecia I agree with you replyed I that indeed it argues a weak mind and little discretion to be angry at small matters but I withal maintain that never to be moved signifies rather an insensible mind than any strength of reason Nay I presume to affirm that it is no vertue to be insensible that Anger may produce good effects and that it is just sometimes to give it way but withal I aver it is danger when it becomes habitual and that it is commendable to bridle it and that a must never be over-mastered by it Certainly replyed pleasantly Lucrecia where there is not a staid mind Anger is a dangerous habit and suits not so well with women for I have observed a certain attraction in affliction and tears but I have never seen any beauty in anger nor known any impatient that were withal agreeable That which is not insupportable in this passion says the Prince of Pometia is that its object omits not any limit as other passions do As for instance if a man have a great tenderness for some one particular person it is only for that very one's sake that he shall betray a certain weakness while his passion lasts which is the only testimony he gives of all those pleasant extravagances whereof he knows himself guilty But as for anger it fastens on all things it equally reaches things sensible and insensible and the mind is incensed by things of small as well as those of greater concernment according to every one's humor You are in the right replyed Lucrecia for an inraged Musician breaks the strings of his Instrument a Painter flings away his Pencils a Senator will be angry if you dissent from his Opinion a Husband quarrels with his Wife for being too expensive and a Wife quarrels with her Husband if he be too covetous a great Beauty falls out with her own Hairs when they will not be ordered as they should be and if it be true that there are any Lovers in this world it is possible added she smiling they may sometimes confer their discontents together upon over very slight occasions if so be they are of a cholerick disposition Lucrecia acted this exaggeration with such a grace that she gained the commendation of all the company for her wit and Brutus hath told me since that almost forgetting his artificial stupidity he had been likely to contribute his praises to those of the rest And indeed he prepared himself to speak but the fair Hermilia hastily prevented him which I only observed but at that time made no great reflection upon it for I hearkned to Hermilia who not willing to quit the discourse about anger made it her business at least to excuse it But in fine said she how is it possible not to be angry at many trivial things which happen for it is in respect to these that I would speak of anger that is how can the mind be so qualified as not to be stirred to anger at a many
to Valeria's It happened also that Lucrecia Valeria and my self being very merry together we staid till it was very late besides that Valerius whom I had left with Brutus had enjoyned me to stay his return home that I might know what had been resolved on at the Club whereat for some reasons it was thought fit I should be In the mean time this Slave of Lucretius Lucrecia being gon from Valerius's acquainted his Master where she had been and assured him that none came thither besides but my self Lucretius was hereupon perswaded that I was a Servant to his Daughter and conspired against Tarquin This apprehension had some appearance of truth for he knew I had often seen Lucrecia at Racilia's while she was in the Countrey and there were not many then knew I was in love with Valeria and as Brutus had often made use of my name in divers gallantries and addresses to Lucrecia as I have already told you so had it raised a small report that I had some affection for her insomuch that sometimes Collatine himself knew not what to think Lucretius therefore having received some slight intimations of what I tell you absolutely concluded I was the Conspirator and the Lover for my Father dying in banishment he thought it was likely I might be as guilty of hatred to Tarquin as love to Lucrecia So that having thus reconciled the business he caused this Beauty to be called to him and carrying her into his Closet he began to treat her most reproachfully and that with so much transportation and fury that Lucrecia who is sweetness it self was much amazed at it but what encreased her amazement was to see in her Fathers hands the Table-book which she thought safe enough elsewhere Not knowing therefore how to excuse much less clear her self she resolved to be patient and withal summoning the greatness of her spirit and courage she bore all that Lucretius said to her and heard him with the greatest attention might be so to discover whether he knew who had written to her But she soon perceived he knew not for Lucretius having tired her with the bitterest reproaches told her there was yet one way left whereby she might excuse her weakness which was to acquaint him with all she knew For said he to her since your love hath such an influence on Herminius as to oblige to communicate to you the designs he hath against Tarquin you must give me the particulars and by giving me occasion to do the King a signal service engage me to forget your miscarriage Lucrecia hearing her Father speak in this manner was surprized afresh for she gathered from his discourse that he knew not the truth and was not acquainted with Brutus's writing since he believed me to be in love with his Daughter She at first was a little glad to see that her servant's life was out of danger but was at the same time troubled that I was unjustly suspected She there fore did all that lay in her power to perswade Lucretius that I had not writ the Letter and to convince him that my love to her was as to a Friend not a Mistress But there being a many circumstances which made Lucretius's opinion seem the more likely to be true he was the less satisfied with his Daughter For in fine said he to her if you say true in that why do you not tell me who writ what I find in this Table-book For to think continued he to deny all and confess nothing is absolute madness All I can tell you Sir replyed Lucrecia is that my misfortune is greater then my guilt and if I have entertained his affection whose Letter you have in your honds it was by the commands of the most vertuous Mother in the world I know well that yours replyed he hastily affected Tarquin's enemies but though that be true yet it justifies not you and if you discover not to me all you know of the Conspiracy I shall engage you in such a manner into the interests of those whom you wish ruined that you will be forced to change your opinion I may well change my fortune replyed she but for my judgement it is impossible therefore Sir press me no further all the favour I beg of you is to believe that Herminius is no servant of mine and that he writ not the Letter you now have in your hands as I shall make appear to you by shewing you his writing which is quite different from that But to deprive you at once of all occasions of persecuting me to no purpose I declare that I will never tell you who writ that Letter and and though I knew all the circumstances of any Conspiracy I should not discover it Nevertheless know that my heart is still innocent and that I am not engaged in any thing that is criminal Lucrecius being hereupon enraged against this admirable Virgin treated her with the roughest language he could thinking thereby to terrifie her into some confession But seeing her not to be shak'd out of her constancy he resolved to force her to marry Collatine for he had long since observed her backwardness as to that business Since you will not said he to her discover what I so much desire to know I must needs engage for some concernment of your own to hinder this secret Conspirator from acting any thing against that Family into which you shall be disposed I therefore command you to prepare your self to marry Collatine within three dayes he was importunate with me this morning about it and I will it should be absolutely effected within the time I allot you and that in the mean while you see no body and least of all Valeria for since you have made her the Confident of your criminal loves she is not fit to be acquainted with your marriage Lucrecia hearing this resolution of her Father's cast her self on her knees beseeching him with tears not to force her to marry Collatine You may choose said he to her and to avoid it you have no more to do than to name this secret servant of yours and discover this Conspiracy for if you will be so obstinate as to do neither I will immediately carry this Letter to Tarquin that he may take some course to find out whose writing it is Nor shall I so much as blot out your name and thereby manifest your weakness choosing rather to see you covered with shame than expose my house to the indignation of an incensed Prince who haply will come to know this enterprize by some other hand and thence infer that my Daughter having a Servant among the Conspirators I might be ingaged in the Conspiracy There is therefore no mean you must either discover your Servant or marry Collatine or be content that I carry this Table-book to Tarquin You may easily judge my Lord what an extremity Lucrecia was in for she was confident Tarquin knew Brutus's writing and as confident that if that Prince came to discover
estate where he was he would not passe to Rhegium he having no acquaintance there after some consultation with himself he had a design to go to Heraelea from whence he hop'd easily to have notice what transactions passed at Leontine he thought 't would be advantagious for him to take this resolution because there was war now between the Prince of Agrigentine and the Prince of Heraclea for the limits of those two petty estates For as you know Sicily is divided into so many different Dominions that 't is impossible they should alwaies be at peace and as the Leontine was enemy to the Agrigentine Prince Artemidorus believed if he should bear arms against him the Prince his brother after he was inform'd of it would perhaps repent of the injury he had done him against the iuterest of his love 't is not but Artemidorus as he is just did not know that the Prince his brother was injust in hating the Agrigentine Prince who was a man of extraordinary merit desiring therefore to go to the War he had rather take the part of the Heraclean Prince then anothers enemy to his brother after he had spent one moneth at Messina he departed from thence with a design to list himself in the Heraclean Troops but going thither he met some avant coureurs of the Agrigentine Army as he would not have been taken he did what he could to escape them and he having met eight or ten Cavaliers which were returning to the Heraclean Camp he animated them to their defence and they so couragiously defended themselves that there was scarce ever seen a Combate so terrible and of such a long continuance between such an unequal number the Agrigentines being four times as many as the Heracleans for Artemidorus he acted such prodigious things remaining alone in fighting Posture that they which environ'd him resov'd to save his life though he refused to render himself on any conditions at last overpower'e by number he was forced to receive his life after his Sword was broken There was amongst these Agrigentines a man of quality called Terillus who judg'd this action too bold and advent'rous to be perform'd by a simple Cavalier such as his habit represented him and he saw somthing in his ayr so great and noble that he believed he ought not to treat him as a common prisoner he caus'd him to be attended with much circumspection and after he had sent back part of his men to the Camp he went himself to present his prisoner to the Prince who was gone for two or three days to the City of Agrigentine Artemidorus was doubtless much afflicted to be a Princes prisoner who was at so much enmity with his Brother that 't was almost impossible they should come to any reconciliation for he believ'd if he knew his quality he would thereby much advantage himself and the Prince of the Leontines when he was advertised of it would perhaps be transported with anger against Clidimira because he would look upon her as the immediate cause of this inauspicious accident he therefore hoped he should not be known there being no great commerce between Leontine and Agrigentine and having heard he was at a Castle he had built on the further side of the City he thought he should not be expos'd to the view of many persons that he should suffer but the disquietude of Imprisonment and that in some general exchange of Prisoners he should recover his liberty and to flatter himself with some consolation he likewise imagined that the Wars between those two petty States would soon be put to a period and that there was nothing more requisite for him then with constancy to support his Imprisonment Being settled in this resolution he patiently submitted to their conduct But Madam before I declare to you in what manner Artemidorus was presented to the Agrigentine Prince and how he was treated 't is necessary for me to give you a brief character of the Prince to whom he was presented and of the Princess his Daughter and another person of the same Sex who hath much part in this History to the end that in the continuation of my recital you may have a more perspicuous understanding of what I intend to relate for for my part I love to have an accurate description of those of whose adventures I receive a narration Therefore I must tell you that the Prince of Agrigentine is a man in all things illustrious His house to which the principality appertaines is not only most Noble and of great Antiquity but more eminent by the opposition it made against the Tyranny of the cruel Phalaris who rewarded the Inventers of any new punishment and whose injustice is at this time in so much horror amongst the Agrigentines that I dare not pronounce his name but with detestation for to entertain their hatred against him and render his name odious to posterity they one day in a year publikely shew with Imprecations a brazen Bull made by one call'd Perillus to the end those whom the Tyrant would put to death should be therein enclos'd and a fire being made round about it the voices they pronounc'd resembling bellowings would the less attenerate the peoples hearts you may conceive his Tyrannie by this Invention which was made to please him but he found one act of Justice in his life for he put him to death in this brazen Bull who was the Inventor of it though he was accustomed to recompense those who invented such things But if he was just to Perillus the gods were just to him since after innumerable cruelties he expired like Perillus in this brazen Bull and the hatred which the Agrigentines had conceiv'd against him was so great that because his Guards were habited in blew which he employed to exercise those cruelties they forbade their dependants from wearing this amiable colour and 't is but about a year since that the Princess of Agrigentine at the earnest request of one of her friends whom she passionately loved hath again introduc'd it But to resume the thred of my discourse the Prince I have mention'd being of an ancient Race and enemy to this cruel Tyrant he is in much veneration at Agrigentine and if he should be recommendable but by his own vertue he would be very much respected by his Subjects for besides as he nigh governeth the City as if it were a Republique he hath spirit learning capacity and experience He is an excellent soldier and a great Captain he keeps his Troops in exact Discipline he knows the art to make himself fear'd and lov'd by his Souldiers in particular and his Subjects in general he hath qualities befitting a man of his Birth he is courteous civil and obliging principally to the Ladies he understands and speaks with facility many languages he favours learning he is magnificent and liberal and hath an heart sensible of glory he takes all innocent pleasures he retains a certain gallant ayr demonstrating to those which
know him that his heart is susceptible of love But if this Prince merits an high encomium he hath a daughter worthy of him and able to command admiration from all Philonice is the Princess of Agrigentines name she is the most surprizing Person in the world for you must know that as the Princess her mother was wrapt in the cold embraces of the grave ere she compleated a triennial age her illustrious Father having at this time many warlike Preparations which have since impal'd his brow with victorious Laurel instead of leaving her at Agrigentine caus'd her to be educated at a magnificent Castle belonging to him scituated in the Campagne and as she appear'd in the world she was adorn'd with all imaginable politeness and I assure you without flattery that she is acquainted in many things which her only imagination hath dictated to her and for her Person 't is infinitely pleasing her head is crown'd with black resplendent hair she is of a mean stature yet so agreeable and noble that it admits of no disadvantage her action is free and natural without any affectation the circumference of her visage shews the extreams of an imperfect Circle and almost form'd it to a perfect oval the new fallen snow was turn'd in comparison of the refin'd purity of her complexion her mouth for shape shamed the imitation of the most exquisite Painters and all the features of her face had so near a kindred of proportion and symmetrie as the severest master of Apelles art might have call'd it his glory to have copyed Beauties from her as the best of models her eyes darted forth such a radiant splendour as neither the firmest eye nor the strongest soul could arm themselves with resistance of proof against these pointed glories but there results from all these perfections such a modest ayr on the visage of Philonice that her only physiognomie clears what blemish can be imputed to the vertue of her soul and delicateness of her spirit 't is not but when she meets with any that she neither esteems nor pleases her she hath a certain coldness which without being uncivil seems more touching to those to whom it is address'd she 's affable but the grandeur of her soul and habitual probity retains her from making those delusive caresses which by many Ladies of the Court are practised with so much Prodigality but for a person she loves there 's no Princess in the world can testifie her tenderness in more obliging and real expressions she is of such a liberal inclination and all her resentments are so discreet and generous as she believes her action should not bely her words for spirit she hath it to admiration she speaks both naturally and gallantly she writes pleasant Letters in a stile so natural reserving her quality that I can mint no expression to equal their praise she hath a solid vertue glory is the cheifest of her delight her heart is tender spirit firm her amity both constant sincere and agreeable she 's discreet in all her actions she 's never capable of any transportment she is both young and wise she hath judgement without experience and prudence without pride and she is so accomplished that I can tax her of nothing but of too much vertue since 't is certain she is so modest that she doth not well know it at least she speaks as if she esteem'd her self not so much as she ought 't is true she accuses her self in such an ingenious manner that her own words betray her There 's likewise in this place another Virgin whose Father is Governour of the Castle of Agrigentine who is highly esteem'd by Philonice not without desert for besides as she is fair and hath an engaging spirit which both pleases and charms all those who approach her she knows how to fit the humour of all Persons her Discourse is admirable she never appears distemper'd at her company she hath a modest jovialty that gives delight to many persons This Virgin called Berelisa hath moreover such a passionate spirit that she makes her glory consist in knowing how to love her friends and as Philonice hath much inclination for her she is commonly with her The day in which Artemidorus was brought to the Castle of Agrigentine she was with this Princess in a great Hall where the Prince her Father was with many other Ladies leaning on a Balcony which jetted on the Court to see twelve stately horses that had a little before been sent to her Father and she desiring to go next morning to the Chace he would have both her and Berelisa chuse those they would have for that gallant sport as their eyes were wholly imployed in surveying these Horses Terillus who had taken Artemidorus entred into the Hall followed by his prisoner leaving his men at the entry of the gate you know Artemidorus is of a gallant deportment which will easily make you believe that he attracted the regards of the Agrigentine Prince of the Princess Philonice and the amiable Berilisa and all the rest of the company for though his habit was but simple yet had he the ayr of a person of Quality though in the design he had to disguise himself he affected unusual simplicity 'T is true seeing all perfections concenter in these Ladies he would not hinder himself from saluting them with such a grace that disposed them to conceive a good opinion of him In the mean time Terillus who presented him to the Prince of Agrigentioe seeing him prepared to give him attention thus said Sir I come to present to you this Prisoner I am obliged to praise and to excuse the weakness of those who took him and to give you occasion to treat him with civility for to speak as a person of Honour who ought to commend the courage of his enemies it hath sometimes been more easie for me to put five hundred men to flight then to vanquish this valiant man for there was so much difficulty to make him render himself after his Sword was broken that I conceiv'd it requisite to acquaint you with his valour to the end that treating him according to his merit he should repent himself from having exposed his life rather then to be your Prisoner It is so natural said Artemidorus for generous Conquerours to praise the courage of those they have vanquished that I ought to draw no vanity from the praises you have attributed to me He which praises you is so brave himself replyed the Agrigentine Prince that you may glory in his praises and if you had ever seen him in any dangerous occasions as he hath seen you you would retribute the like praises to his Valour and as your great magnanimity and the air of your Visage easily dispose me to believe you are of illustrious blood though your habit contradict that opinion Tell me what you are and what 's your condition and what motive induc'd you to take such an unjust party I know by your accent you are
whole City came to visit her and comfort her for the absence of Turnus and among the rest came Perfander for I had forgot to tel you that Turnus at his departure had been to take his leave of his friend that he had spoke very obligingly to him that he had intreated him to continue his friendship to his Wife and had desired Caesonia to admit the visits of Persander as those of any other lest he should imagine he had forbidden him out of jealousie Accordingly Caesonia disposed her self to receive the visits of Persander conditionally they were not too frequent and that he should say nothing to her she might be offended at resolving in case he presumed to entertain her with the affection he had for her not to see him any more for Turnus had so far injoyned her to see him that he could take no other resolution Upon these terms Persander who had still an extream affection for her visited her sometimes and behaved himself with so much respect to her and such acknowledgement of her Vertue that he betrayed not his Passion in his discourse but if Caesonia had examined his looks they would have acquainted her with the most violent love in the World 'T is true a certain secret melancholy took up her spirits so much that she would not seek what she was not desirous to find Hence it also proceeded that Caesonia during Turnus's absence avoided as much as might be coming to great Feasts and carryed her self as a Woman of great Vertue and love to her Husband and tender of his reputation should have done especially being young and handsom having a Husband absent and divers Lovers in the places where she resides But whiles Caesonia lived after this rate and was extreamly troubled in her mind at Turnus's absence when two months were passed ere she had received any tidings of him he sent a man express to Ardea with divers orders Caesonia was much amazed to understand that her Husband who she thought had taken shipping long before was still at Rhegium which place he spoke not of leaving for some time whereat being much surprized she thought fit cunningly to sift out what staid Turnus there and put her off with such an unlikely account of it as much increased her Curiosity But that which was most mysterious to her was that she came to understand that the man had brought a Letter from Turnus to Persander that he had spoken with him divers times and that he could not return to his Master till he were dispatched by Persander So that being infinitely desirous to know what might be in the Wind she was in an extraordinary disquiet for she would not have any private discourse with Persander though she had for him the greatest esteem in the World Nor could she easily condescend to give me any order to find it out as conceiving that if she had made that request to me I should fall a chiding of her But at last she applyed her self to me and having made me promise I would not quarrel with her she told me what she had so much mind to know But added she I would not have Persander imagine that you ask him any thing for my satisfaction for I would not give him any pretence or occasion of discourse concerning Turnus I promised Caesonia to obey her directions and kept my word in not charging her with any thing 'T is true I did not forbear it so much in performance of my promise as out of compassion observing in her eyes that she said to her self all that I could have said to her As soon as she had left me I sent to Persander to come to me which when he had done without any mention of Caesonia I asked him what business he had with Turnus He at first was loath to tell me the truth but being well acquainted with his humour ah Persander said I to him if you satisfie not my desire as to what I would now know I shall never permit you to speak of Caesonia You know that I am the onely person with whom you can rationally discourse of her and that I am your only comfort in this case Persander not able to deny me any longer shewed me a Letter he had received from Turnus wherein putting him in mind of their ancient Friendship he intreated of him an extraordinary courtesie in doing that for him which he should understand by the Bearer of the Letter Whereupon Persander told me that Turnus desirous that his family should not know the vast expences he pretended to be at in this voyage intreated him to write to a Kinsman of his at Rhegium to furnish him with such things as he stood in need of That further he desired to have sent him divers rarities which are made at Ardea such as are only fit to be presented to Women pretending a design he had to pass through divers Courts where he might make his advantage of them And in a word added Persander without diving any further into his intentions I do for Turnus all he desires of me though he hath ruined my Felicity without establishing his own and within these two daies I dismiss him he hath sent to me with all those things he desires This done Persander spoke many thinks very honourable and obligingly of Caesonia yet without any desire made to me to tell her of it as knowing it would have been to no purpose though I am confident his love to her was guided by innocence it self Having thus understood Turnus's business with Persander I thought not to have acquainted Caesonia with it lest it should afflict her But I must confess reflecting on her obstinacy in opposing me I was not very sorry I could convince her I was in the right Besides that it being fit she knew what expences Turnus was at that in case he should send for wherewithall to continue his extravagancies she might take some course to remedy it I resolved to tell her the truth But when I had acquainted her with all Passages she suspected something beyond what I had which was that Turnus had no other reason to send for all those things then his being fallen in love at Rhegium To be short she immediately sent for the man who was come from Turnus to Ardea and pretending that she knew what she was before desirous he should have told her she managed the business with so much discretion that the man who had a great respect to Caesonia and thought his Master was much to blame confessed at last thinking she might remedy it that he was indeed fallen in love at Rhegium that his expences there were excessive and that if she took not some course to get him back to Ardea he would continue there some time To tell you what effect this new inconstancy of Turnus had both on Caesonia and my self were not easie for me But for Caesonia when she had dismissed the man she fixes her eyes swelled with tears on me and remembring
though with a little tincture of melancholy as she won their Loves the very first day Mean while Brutus according to his design harangued the Senate and people as he said he would And with so much Eloquence and Authority as it may well be said that their suffrages were not free because he left none at liberty to be of any opinion contrary to his He did so urgently aggravate the danger of making but one Consul as the Image of Tyranny working upon the spirits of those to whom he spoke they all obeyed his will and consented that the Soveraign power which he had should be divided But when it came to the vote who should be his Copartner the dispute was greater than was imagined For as all new establishments meet with many difficulties So such a murmur did arise as made it evident there would be Contrariety of opinions in this Choice The multitude did not aim at chusing one that was the most able the most wise and the most valiant but only such a one as was the most irreconcileable enemy of Tarquin For had they aimed at the most able they would have looked upon Valerius whose Prudence was admirable whose honesty was known to all the world and who had generously seconded Brutus in delivering Rome They would then have thought upon Clelius whose experience was great and virtue high They would have chosen Lucretius they would have thought upon the wise Herminius though he was a little too young to be Consul though his high soul and heart rendred him worthy of any thing they might have pitcht upon many other illustrious Romans But as I said before thinking only upon such a one whom they thought most obliged to hate Tarquin they all concurred in their Votes and no name could be heard but Collatines whom the multitude thought more engaged to ruin Tarquin than any other by reason of Lucretia's death and wrongs received from him such popular deliberations are commonly tumultuous inconsiderate and derogatory to right reason so as they never considered that Collatine himself was of the Race of Tarquins Brutus who heartily wished Valerius to be chosen and hoped he would he was much surprised to see Collatine the man for he could not endure him but hated him as much as if he were his Rival also he looked upon him as a party cause of Lucretia's death by infusing Love into the heart of Sextus when he inconsiderately carried him to see that fair and unfortunate Lady He looked upon him as a person whom she ever hated though out of Nuptial conscience lived well with him and he looked upon him as a man who bore the name of Tyrant but to speak ingenuously he did not look upon him through all these Considerations but because he ever looked upon him as his Rival so as it grieved his Soul to have him for his partner in Authority Yet since it concerned the safety of Rome that no division should appear betwixt them in that new establishment and since also it concerned the glory of Lucretia that he should give no ground of guessing why he hated Collatine therefore he constrained himself in this Rencontre he thought again that if he should oppose what the multitude propounded it would breed a great Combustion For now there was not one single Roman who hoped not for some little share of the Royal Authority So as Brutus whose piercing eye saw things as they were and foresaw the consequences of this affair he dissembled his thoughts and told Valerius in secret how angry he was that he was not Consul But in conclusion the mind of the multitude must be satisfied and Brutus seemed not to take it ill complying therefore with the Times he himself was the first that saluted Collatine as Consul unto whom from that time the people began to render all honours which that dignity required Brutus offered him the first place but he would not accept it nor indeed the people consent unto it so as it was resolved that there should be but one Consul before whom the twelve Lictors should walk and before whom the Hatchet and bundle of Rods should be carried lest it should incense the people who do not love those emblems of Authority should be doubled which may punish them when they deserve Not that the Authority of the prime Consul was greater than the other's for Brutus would not permit it for fear of such consequences as might ensue But as for these bare emblems of honour they belonged unto Brutus only Howsoever after that Collatine was chosen Brutus would have his Colleague confirm all those who the day before were tumultuously made Senators Censors Pretors Aediles Questors or Tribunes after which Brutus caused a publick Oration to be made never to suffer any to raign in Rome nor that any should ever be brought to consent unto it either by menaces or promises They did establish as a Law that the Consulship should last but one year that for the future none should be Consuls under forty three years of age none Praetors under forty none Aediles under thirty seven none Tribune under thirty and no Questor under twenty seven Brutus would also have it That the Consuls should be of the most illustrious Races and that the three hundred Senators should be Noble-men After which the Senate being regularly assembled they voted to regulate the Power and authority of those who had the conduct of things sacred for it being the custom that the Kings should offer some sacrifices in person to shew that they had an absolute authority in these Dominions and that they had no dependency of any but the Gods Brutus would not have the Consuls do as the Kings used to do But he made a Royal Sacrificer for that Ceremony only and that they should submit unto him that was the chief in matters of Religion After which the means of making war against Tarquin was taken into consideration They provided for the Guard of the Town they consulted how to keep their Neighbours from joyning with the Tyrant they swore a solemn league betwixt Ardes and Rome they resolved to keep the Cavalry which Horatius had brought and to send Deputies unto Ardes to thank that Town for the resistance which they made against the Tyrant And Brutus omitted nothing that might conduce to the publick good to the ruine of Tarquin and to the revenge of Lucretia after which every one returned to his house Mean time Clelius with Amilcar went to see the Prince of Numidia who knew him at first and asked for Clelia This Prince being much joyed to hear that Clelia was escaped he beseeched Clelius to give him no occasion of hatred protesting unto him that he should die with some contentment if he could be but assured of his indifferency Clelius who was generous and saw him in that pitiful condition by endeavouring to deliver his daughter he assured him that she should be full of acknowledgment to him provided he would be
respective and amorous than he used So as after all her endeavours to recal Spurius both by sweetness and jealousie she found her self like to lose the only Lover which she had remaining though she was fair and wittie As for Spurius he still thought himself very happy although he had no reason As for Herminius and Valeria they were both well satisfied and had good cause for it But as it is impossible to love long without some rub a chance hapned that vexed them both and which might very well do so For you must know that the jealousie of Volesus being augmented and Salonina fearing to lose him she resolved to renounce her design of recalling Spurius But in seeking to justifie her self towards Volesus she was not sorry to do any mischief unto Spurius or unto Valeria also whom she loved not So as endeavouring all she could to piece Spurius and Volesus together the occasion presently offered it self She met with 't in Domitia's Chamber it chanced that Salonina was sitting between Volesus and Spurius And it chanced also that the company was very great that day And that the Ladies which sate by Spurius and Volesus being gone Salonina and they were separated a good space from the rest of the company As for Herminius though he did not often apply himself unto Valeria before company yet since the approach of hiding his Love over-much was laid to his charge he Courted her this day more than ordinary So as Spurius seeing his Rival with his Mistress and could not leave Salonina without two apparent incivility he kept his place Salonina making use of this unexpected occasion both to cure Volesus to vex Spurius and spite Valeria she turned toward Spurius and addressing her speech to him with a disdainful smile Since I am naturally very pitiful said she unto him I think it an act of charity to comfort you for the ill success you have in all your enterprises of Gallantry For truly as full of merit as Herminius is I think Valeria ought to prefer you before him though upon no other reason but because you love her more than he All Ladies in general replied Spurius faintly are so apt to be unjust that if this misfortune do befall me yet it is not the first time Salonina understanding his meaning was afraid lest Volesus should hear and understand So as beginning to speak again hastily without answering to what he had said she told him that he was more beholding to her than he was aware of For Volesus knows that I being full of acknowledgement for all the services which heretofore you have done me I was very sorry to see you engaged in the service of a Lady whose heart is not in her own power and perhaps I have endeavoured to disengage you without any other intention but to break those chains which unless you do undeceive your self will grow more heavy upon you every day For truly continued this crafty Lady Volesus knows very well that I had never endeavoured your Re-engagement to me but only to disengage you from Valeria as much my Friend as she is For I being better able to penetrate into her heart than you I was sorry to see how she made use of you only as a Cloak to hide the inclination she had unto Herminius But since I perceive you do ill interpret my meaning I leave you to your own bad destinie and declare that I will never again endeavour to Re-engage you to my service nor dis-engage you from the service of Valeria Whilst Salonina was speaking this Spurius unluckily looked at Valeria as she was talking to Herminius and had then in her eyes such a passionate and sweet obligingness that he blusht So as it might be said that the looks of Valeria did more perswade Spurius to believe what Salonina said than all the Language of that crafty Lady could So as then not rejecting what this envious friend said as he had upon other occasions and Volesus making one in this Conversation it grew at last a Conversation of real confidence on Spurius his side and false confidence of the side of Volesus and Salonina whose aims yet were not alike For Volesus talked with Spurius only to make him understand that Salonina had no design of Love upon him And Salonina had no other intention but to keep him from being in love with Valeria For as envie doth prepossess the mind as well as Love Salonina did not think that in making Spurius jealous she should augment his Love to Valeria And indeed Spurius at that instant growing jealous he did become much more in Love than before And chance also would have it that the conversation of the day did augment this growing jealousie For be pleased to know that Valeria after she had done talking with Herminius when Spurius had observed the sweetness of her looks she began to chide Salonina for separating her self from the company with two such Gallants as Spurius and Volesus So as being all joyned together and Prince Titus with Collatina being come they fell insensibly to talk of Amity and Love Some said that Amity ought to be preferred before Love because the pleasures of it are more tranquil And others that Love ought to be preferred before Amity because the sweets of it are infinitely more sensible I conceive said Herminius it is not impossible to joyn these two kinds of Pleasures together and I affirm that to make a Love durable it is requisite that a woman be both the Friend and the Mistress of her Lover I say further that if Amity do precede Love in the heart of a Lover his Passion will be stronger more durable more respectful and also more ardent Spurius hearing Herminius say so he made an application of what he said as unto himself So as out of those sparks of jealousie which began to grow in him He began to contradict him and to maintain that Love and Amity cannot be both in the heart of one and the same person For said he these two are so little resemblant as it cannot be conceived they should at one instant be together without so confounding each other as they cannot both be discerned They do confound themselves indeed replied Herminius but it is so as two Rivers which meet and mingle yet in mixing said Titus these two Rivers make but one I do confess it replied Herminius yet the Waters of both the Rivers are there though they cannot be separated and that River which is the most famous and alters the name of the other which it hath received is the better and more fit to bear great boats If Tiber which hath received forty and two Rivers into its Channel had only the original water of its source it would be but a petty brook It is almost the very same in love for to speak sincerely to cause love barely there needs no high spirit great merit great beauty great generosity nor any taking charms in conversation there needs no more
and dangerous visits how pleasant soever they may seem to those who have not their spirits ballanced as hers and she professeth such a purity of virtue and a generosity so Heroick that she makes it her greatest pleasure to find out occasions to relieve the unfortunate I know a Gentlewoman at Syracuse who was no sooner known to this admirable woman but she did her extraordinary favors without any other reason than that of her unhappiness and that she had haply goodness enough to deserve a better fortune Amalthaea's greatest pleasures consist in the regulation of her passions in giving good example to those that see her in doing all the good she can in living with Anaxander as the chastest wife in the World can do with a Husband whose quality is that of the greatest one that carries about him a thousand excellent endowments and among the rest generosity goodness magnificence integrity and an infinite affection for her But to conclude the pleasures of Amalthaea she orders her House with abundance of discretion she looks her self to the education of her Children and serves the Gods with admirable exactness In a word I do not think that the first Vestals that were established at Rome were more careful to preserve the sacred fire than Amalthaea is to observe whatever Religion requires of her Would you go from her business to her recreations she is much given to reading she is excellent good at all manner of Works she designs she paints Dishes to adorn her Closet she makes mixtures of flowers in order to Perfumes nay she diverts her self in putting innocent tricks upon her friends but it is to surprise them into delight and to oblige them And though she is a greater lover of solitude than of company yet is she not guilty of the least harshness towards those of her Sex that are her friends Her company is infinitely pleasant and the great liberality she exercises on so many unfortunate people hinders not but that she lives to the height of her condition so to comply with custom Hence is it that her house affords whatever magnificence guided by virtue can pretend to that is most stately and the Palace of Anaxander which lies upon the Port of Syracuse is one of the most sumptuous things in the World The apartment thereof which Amalthaea hath for her lodgings is so pleasant that nothing can be more for besides many rare things that are level with the ground there are artificial Rocks and Grots represented as also magnificent Cabinets and a Belcony whence may be seen the Port the Ships that ride in it and the greatest part of the City and yet Anaxander and Amalthaea have a house about twenty miles from Syracuse which blasts as I may so say the beauty of that and is the most delightful and most incomparable thing in the world For to speak rationally a man cannot well say whether this House be in a valley upon a plain or upon a hill for it hath about it Rivers large and magnificent Moats full of running water Currents Meadows Wood and a vast extent of ground On the one side it seems to be in a plain on the other it seems to be on a hill and yet it may most truely be said to be almost in the midst of a pleasant valley drenched by a great and a small River whereof the sight is very admirable I shall not give you any large description of this house for I should never have done should I speak of the outer parts of this inchanted Palace that is should I represent to you the spacious walks leading to the great River should I give you an exact account of the length and breadth of the Avenues the largeness and beauty of the Orchards the coolness and umbrage of the Wood which lies within the compass of its walls the magnificence of that first Court which is octangular and hath two stately Gates and the beauty of three sumptuous sides of the building which are seen as you come into the Court Nor shall I trouble you with a description of the Entry nor the Stair-case nor particularise the great number of noble and large Apartments that a man sees there and which are so neatly disposed and contrived that they are as remarkable for their convenience as their beauty Nor shall I say ought of the largeness of the Halls in particular of the magnificence of the Gallery the handsomness of the Belconies and a thousand other things worthy to be taken notice of and which very much discover the neatness the magnificence and the conduct of those that are Masters thereof But I shall only tell you that this House which as I said is in a Valley is nevertheless upon a little ascent in regard of the prospect that lies on the Garden side where there is a bridge to pass over the large and magnificent Moats I told you of So that when a man stands in the Belcony that is in the middle of this proud building he sees beneath him those large Moats full of excellent water beyond which lies a pleasant green bank out of which he comes into a spacious place of a vast extent enclosed by two great Currents the one born up by Arch-work the other running on the flat beyond which as well as beyond the spacious place passes a small River which having played the serpent among the Meadows fringed with Willow seems to make another channel passing before the Garden and those other Currents for in that place it is as strait as an Arrow And what 's most remarkable is that assoon as it is passed that place it becomes a River again if I may so express it that is uneven in its course till it disembogues it self into the great River which passes on the left hand and makes a kind of an Island of the Valley so that there being no Wall to the Garden on that side as being enclosed only by the River a man may with the same sight see the Moats the Banks the Currents the falls of waters beyond the Garden falling into green Meadows and beyond all this the little Rivers Meadows Hills Cottages Country-houses Villages and Mountains which insensibly rising above one another seemed to reach up to Heaven such a confusedness doth distance cause in objects But as the piety of Amalthaea and her illustrious husband shines in all they do so was it the founder of a Temple in their house which is the noblest and most admirable part thereof 'T is indeed a Master-piece of Architecture the charge was certainly great but the Workmanship is so miracalous that a man cannot say it hath been excessive 'T is true that a punctilio of honor added much to the perfection of this Temple for the excellent Architect that did it took his model from that of Ephesus out of an expectation to be employed to re-build that magnificent Temple of Venus that is at Ericium But the late Prince of that place having preferred another
go to this pleasant Solitude whereof two are very troublesome and difficult The place is nevertheless furnished with Springs and there is a very fair Haven at the foot of this famous Mountain which hath a priviledge that there was never seen upon it any venemous creature or wild beast and the excellency of the place is such that because men could never find out a name excellent enough for it it hath not any one in partcular and the Haven it hath distinguishes it from the other mountains This then is the place where is retired a small number of wise men who having experienc'd the vanities of the world will needs disengage themselves from it But among others Timantes a particular friend of the virtuous Amalthaea is an an incomparable person He is tall and of a good countenance and hath a noble Physiognomy such as so well discovers the freedom and sincerity of his heart that it may be almost said he is known before a man hath the leisure to know him All his actions are so many expressions of the vigor and vivacity of his spirit for he ever acts with force and agility insomuch that the caresses he honors his friends with are arguments of the earnestness of his disposition Timantes hath doubtless a very vast understanding and besides the great advantages he hath made of study as to what is requisite to make a man both wise and acceptable he is born to a great genius in Poetry and makes such Verses as Hesiod and Homer would not be ashamed to own were they alive again But I shall not make what is within him the main subject of my commendation of him though he have such an admirable wit that hath such fire and lustre that he cannot but discover it upon some occasions wherein he would not make it appear His heart of all that is within him is the most noble part as what hath such an extraordinary freedom and openness that it might be said that he had never so much as heard it said there was such a thing as dissimulation in the World He speaks truth without any fear or evasion he maintaineth it with courage and makes use of anger to defend justice when he cannot do it otherwise and he hath a goodness that favors of the innocency of the first age For his humor it is divertive enough but withal so natural that he finds himself employment out of things most inconsiderable He hath also a particular gift of inspiring his friends with a certain innocent joy and teaching them the art of diverting themselves without any prejudice to others Timantes is farther a man that of all the world is the most sensibly moved at the works of others when they are excellent and loves very much to do justice where there is desert In a word he hates nothing so much as what is opposite to this great virtue and the freedom of his disposition is so contrary to all manner of Tyrannie that he sometimes saies merrily that he deserves no great honor for shaking off the yoke of all the passions because it is much more easie to obey reason than to be led away by the fantastick humors of five or six frantick passions who would be implicitely obeyed and yet many times require things contradictory Timantes therefore having only that one Mistriss to wait on is never from her but consults her in all things Yet it might be said he thinks not on her but that though the agitation of his humor makes his body often change place his mind is ever quiet and that fire which enflames and animates it makes it more active yet not more unquiet Farther having got the mastery of his passions he hath distilled them all into one which is to him instead of all and which he will never part with He maintains that friendship in his heart is incomparably a more violent passion than love is in other men's and he is perswaded that no Lover loves his Mistriss so well as he does his friends Nay he confidently holds that Love is a defective affection such as is to be numbred among the enjoyments of infancy and consequently to be discarded as soon as reason takes place whereas on the contrary friendship is an absolutely perfect affection equally consistent with Virtue and Reason and should last as long as life does So that being fully perswaded of the perfection of friendship he is the most earnest and most accomplished friend in the world Nay though he stands dis-engaged from all things that obliged him to that yet the obligation to his friends is effectual and stands firm by indissoluble ties What makes his friendship most acceptable is that haveing a sincere heart and loving without interest he serves his friends without any fear of hazarding any thing for them and that being naturally merrily disposed his virtue hath nothing in it that is savage nothing harsh nor any thing that hinders him from having an innocent compliance for those he loves He makes them more sensible of the tenderness of his friendship by small things than divers others can do by great services For not only his countenance the accent of his speech and the things he says demonstrate the joy he conceives to see his friends when he hath been some time from them but even all his actions though he mind it not are expressions of his affection I shall never forget one day that he came to a place where he was expected by ten or twelve persons whom he affected much and they him no less for though it sems impossible a man should in an instant acquit himself of all that civility and friendship required of him upon such an occasion yet he came off admirably well and what by his actions what by his words what by his caresses what by his obliging earnestness and what by his joy he made them all understand that he was very much obliged to them that he was glad to see them that he loved them that he had a hundred things to tell them and in a word that he had for them all the sentiments they could wish he should have He spoke a word to one a word to another embraced two or three together he reached his hand to one Lady whispered to another spoke aloud to them all and it may be almost said that he went and came without changing place so much did he endeavor to give all that were about him satisfaction Thus have you a Character of Timantes who for friends in his retirement had some few virtuous men equally excellent with himself such as haveing been well acquainted with the World had forsaken it as a place where it was hard as well for those that had gotten Wisdom to preserve it as for those that had not to get it They are therefore resolved to separate themselves from the commerce of other men and have chosen this Mountain which is as it were a lesser World divided from the greater where they live
taken by six men well appointed and there needed ten to overcome you when you coâ—e to be in an Army which hitherto has not been unprosperous you will without question do things which shall be equally advantageous both to him that does them and for whose interest they are exploited Hortensius hearing these words of Adronice was extreamly joyful at them for having no particular design he was highly pleas'd in finding so commodious an occasion as this and therefore he receiv'd this offer with joy and assured Andronice that he should esteem himself absolutely happy in hazarding the life she had preserved to him in the service of the Prince her brother Accordingly he prepar'd himself to follow her so soon as she had dispacht the sacrifice she was determin'd to offer And not to insist upon matters of small moment I shall tell you in few words that Andronice having perform'd what she ought to the gods and seen all the excellencies of the Valley of Tempe return'd from thence accompanied by Hortensius She had with her two persons of quality with whom Hortensius soon contracted a friendship During the journey Andronice very much augmented the esteem she had conceiv'd of Hortensius for she found him so full of spirit so prudent and so respectful that he pleas'd her infinitely Hortensius on the other side observ'd a thousand agreeable qualities in this Princess besides her beauty which was not mean But it fell out that as they were crossing a Wood a little before Sun-set they heard a great noise of horses and within a moment after saw about fifty horsemen with their swords in their hands coming to surround the Chariot of Andronice The Princess had scarce cast her eyes upon the people which inclos'd her but she espied a Lover of hers nam'd Attalus whom she hated in perfection So that not doubting but he intended to take her away Ah Hortensius cry'd she looking about for him you may now render me more than the life you owe me by hindring me from being taken away by the Traitor Attalus At these words Hortensius who had already drawn his sword went with ten or twelve other Horsemen who attended on Andronice directly towards Attalus whom he easily discover'd to be master of the rest But for that this incensed Lover sought not to fight but only design'd to carry away his Mistriss Hortensius could not overcome him so soon as he would by reason Attalus had contriv'd to order his followers to take Andronice out of her Chariot and put her into his Arms that so he might carry her away whilst they kept the Princesses attendants in fight For he was determined to take sanctuary in that wood where there stood an old Castle of which the Master was his friend But Hortensius being zealous to acquit himself to the full of what he ought Andronice broke thorow those that oppos'd his passage and having first slain one and wounded two encountred with Attalus whose valour was known to all that knew his person There began a very sharp fight between these two Gallants while those who accompany'd Andronice defended themselves against the party of Attalus By the number of which they had without question been over-power'd if Hortensius who was resolv'd either to conquer or dye had not shew'd extraordinary courage and made haste to dispatch the head of those people who were twice as many as those they fought against For the sense of glory and gratitude redoubled his natural valour which being seconded by favour of Fortune he wounded Attalus in three places and the last pass that he made at him running him through the body he fell down as dead at his horses feet Which his followers perceiving some run to succor him others set upon Hortensius to revenge their Master and part of those who environ'd Andronice's Chariot fled But the first victory elevating the heart of Hortensius advantag'd him to a second he soon ridding himself of those who assaulted him after the fall of Attalus whom some of his own carried off whilst the attendants of Andronice seconding the courage of Hortensius help'd him to compleat the conquest Thus having put to flight or slain all that had attacked them the Chariot proceeded again forward and Hortensius marching last to the end he might be first in fighting in case they should be follow'd was happy enough to come off in this adventure without being wounded though his cloaths were pierc'd in several places 'T is true there were three of the Princess of Messena's people so wounded that it was requisite to leave them at the next village they came to Andronice for more surety would not stay at the place where she had purposed to lodge but went on as far as the horses were able to go that she might be as remote as possible from a place where so cruel an adventure had befallen her I omit to repeat to you Madam the Princesses discourse to Hortensius upon the way and at her arrival at the place where she was to repose for I have so many other things to tell you that I ought not to trouble you with circumstances of no importance and moreover you may easily imagine what a grateful Princess and of much wit might say in this occurrent and what might be answer'd by a modest Cavalier who still believ'd he had receiv'd more than he had return'd But I shall tell you that Hortensius who was ingenious sought occasion to be instructed of the state of the Court whither he was going to the end he might deport himself there with more prudence The late accident encreased his curiosity much more and therefore having contracted friendship with two persons of quality who accompanied this Princess especially with one who was called Eumenes and possess'd both Virtue and Wit he began one evening a private Converse with him in this manner Generous Eumenes said he after several protestations of friendship I beseech you please to instruct an unhappy stranger who already looks upon Messena as his Countrey since he can hope to gain such a friend there as you Being you are a person of much merit answer'd Eumenes I shall be very ready to inform you with sincerity for the Court you are going to is much more hard to be well understood than you imagine and the War in which the Prince Melanthus is engag'd more troublesome than you may at present conceive it And therefore perhaps it will not be unprofitable to you to grant you what you request But is it not the War said Hortensius which the Prince of Messena is engag'd in against Elis which is a Countrey of no great extent Yes answer'd Eumenes but for that 't is a Countrey consecrated to the gods the design of usurping it seems criminal to almost all the Republicks of Greece and especially to those of Peloponnesus as you may know because you liv'd a while at Corinth I know it well replyed Hortensius having not been so long at Corinth without hearing people speak
Melanthus's mind I know not what sentiments which I perceive you would intimate to me that you remove them from him if you love his quiet for were I to be eternally his slave I should never have any thing for him but aversion and hatred Hortensius knowing the Princesses resistance would more inflame Melanthus's love imploy'd all his wit to make her change her opinion and even perswaded Cleontine that he had reason on his side I beseech you Madam said he to her consider well the condition in which you are and you will find it concerns you extreamly not to incense the Prince of Messena I do not urge Madam that you should love him more than you did ever any other for it does not belong to me to give you such counsel but I conjure you Madam not to reject disdainfully the tokens of affection which the Prince will express to you For my part answer'd she I believe it a very great secret not to leave any hope at first to those to whom we have firmly resolved to refuse eternally what they desire 'T is a good course Madam reply'd Hortensius for them who have a kind of spirit which is easily repell'd I mean for such people from whom difficulties take away the desire of the most agreeable things who have only calm pleasures and who would not be possess'd of the greatest felicity of the earth at the purchase of one hours sighing But 't is not effectual to an ambitious Soul to whom difficult enterprises seem always more excellent than others and who never have violent desires but for such things as cannot be obtain'd without pains And because Madam added Cleontine it behoveth not to act with a Prince whose prisoner you are in the same manner as if you were free for a greater restraint is to be us'd and since Hortensius seems to me compleatly generous I shall not fear to tell you in his presence that I believe in the like occasion you ought to give neither hope nor despair and there is a certain kind of serious civility which neither causes to hope nor yet dejects into despair which is proper enough to gain time and to hinder many troublesome consequences which disdain might produce Therefore Madam rather use that natural gentleness which the gods have given you you may lay it aside when you please and since Hortensius assures you that four considerable persons shall have the liberty of communication with you during six months and the Prince of Cyparissa also during the Olympick Games comply with the mind of a Prince who is able to use more rude ways with you if he pleases I promise you answer'd Elismonda I will do what I am able to follow your counsels though I dare not answer absolutely for my self Hortensius hearing her speak thus almost repented himself of having been so urgent to perswade her to gentleness but at length considering he could do nothing in his own behalf with innocence but only to hinder Melanthus's love from increasing to a greater ardor he thought he had some ground of satisfaction in leaving Elismonda in the resolution of constraining her self and more in being commended and intreated by her and observing she had some esteem for him All which caus'd him to think he should return less discontented than he came But as soon as he was upon the way and beheld Elismonda no longer he found himself as unhappy as before and rather more For he found his passion was augmented and it came into his mind that perhaps Elismonda lov'd the Prince of Cyparissa So that he perceiv'd himself possess'd as well with jealousie as with love if at least any separation can be made between these two passions Alas said he to himself does it belong to a miserable person that loves without hope to be jealous to an unhappy man who is his Rivals confident and serves him faithfully 'T is true said he but the Rival whom I serve is hated and he that troubles my imagination is perhaps belov'd But what concerns it me answer'd he suddainly whether Elismonda love or not since Fate will never suffer me to make her know I love her After which Hortensius spoke no more to himself but fell into such a profound musing that he arriv'd at Elis when he thought himself yet far from it At his arrival he understood it was not above an hour before that the Princess Andronice entred into the City For whom having a very particular kindness the news gave him much satisfaction He went therefore with speed to give the Prince an account of his journey and found him coming from the Apartment of Andronice Whereby it was necessary for him to discharge his intelligence before he could see her for this Prince was really extream amorous of Elismonda Hortensius was now inconceiveably perplex'd for though Melanthus had perswaded him that difficulty was capable to encrease his love he was so fearful of giving him too much hope that he was troubled to choose words wherewith to express himself and chang'd his order and manner of speaking many times involuntarily For when he told Melanthus he did not find Elismonda had so great hatred against him as he imagin'd he beheld so much joy arising in his eyes that he fear'd hope would augment his passion But then again to weaken the obliging sense of what he had said he told him he knew not whether Policy had not a great share in the civility of the Princess With which Melanthus was so dejected that Hortensius was forc'd to return to his first smooth language for fear lest this passion should become too violent both for the quiet of Melanthus Elismonda and himself But at length when the Prince had fully understood his success he gave him liberty to go see the Princess Andronice who receiv'd him with so great a goodness that had not he been pre-possess'd with love the testimonies of so tender a friendship would have given him almost as much pleasure as the favours of a Mistriss but in the condition his Soulwas he only half gusted whatever was advantageous to him Andromice being of a lively apprehension immediately perceiv'd Hortensius had something in his Breast troubled him And being there was none present saving Eumenes their common friend she demanded the cause of it with such obliging urgency as the sadness of a friend induces a true friend to use What is it Hortensius said she to him which hinders you from having as much joy in seeing me as I have in finding you But beware you tell me not there is nothing troubles you rather pretend some kind of sorrow or other and tell me rather that you are fallen in love at Elis than assign no cause of a kind of sadness which I observe in your eyes for fear least I may suspect you of dissimulation I am altogether oblig'd Madam answer'd he with the manner of your speech but I beseech you do not constrain me to search my heart for every troublesome thing that
maugre the valor of those that had taken him one of his attendants having given him a Horse he had saved himself and took the way towards the Camp followed with a small party of his own the Inhabitants of Elis having in this sedition cut the rest to pieces So that continued this Citizen there are no more enemies at least left in the City and provided the valiant Hortensius will not forsake us we hope notwithstanding our City being destitute of Walls to defend our selves courageously against so furious an enemy Elismonda who knew what Hortensius's sentiments were beheld him as a person that dared not answer But this generous Lover after haveing made a great violence upon himself If you should be defended Madam said he sighing only by a Traytor the gods would abandon you and therefore 't is better I should abandon you and betake my self to my duty For Melanthus has had grounds to believe me culpable and his cruelty is innocent towards me so that if you please I must follow my resolution and go find that Prince I leave you at liberty in a City that is yours and if the action I am going to do restore me to any favor with Melanthus I will mploy it only to oblige him to make peace with you and leave you in tranquillity Hortensius spoke this with so sad an aspect that all that beheld him had their hearts much affected with it Elismonda her self admired the generosity which excited indignation in her and was so astonished at it that she was not able to speak half her thoughts But at length Hortensius notwithstanding all Elismonda's importunities to divert him went to find Melanthus but as he was going he found him ingaged in a very unequal fight against a party of the Prince of Cyparissa who was there in person and by his exemplary valor redoubled the courage of his Soldiers The arrival of Hortensius caused an alteration in the face of things Melanthus was already wounded when he arriv'd and his forces put to the rout But Hortensius joyning with the Prince of Messenia who was infinitely amazed at this grand action dis-ingaged him from five or six that environed him encountered with the Prince of Cyparissa wounded and took him prisoner and turned the Victory to the party of a Prince who had intended to take away his life the same day 'T is true Melanthus was not in a condition to enjoy his own for through the extraordinary agitation and heat of his spirits and rage of his mind his wound though not very great of it self became mortal by reason of the bad temper of his body at that time so that the next morning his life was despaired of But for that his reason was still free this action of Hortensius inclined him to believe what he alleadged for his innocence and this Prince as violent as he was expressed a thousand obligations to him and desiring to understand the truth of his condition he no sooner was told the approaching of his fate but he caused Hortensius to be call'd who being come jealousie remaining in his heart even to death he constrained him to promise him never to deliver the Prince of Cyparissa but on condition that he should not marry Elismonda and then told him that he would declare him his Successor provided he would marry Andronice Hortensius whose great soul was never at a loss told him He would undoubtedly do his utmost to hinder the Prince of Cyparissa from marrying Elismonda but as for what related to the Princess Andronice he conjured him to leave the Soveraignty to her as for himself he was resolved to dye a thousand times for her service and content himself with the glory he should have in serving her Melanthus then knowing that Hortensius's love to Elismonda was that that hindred him from accepting his offer was despighted at it so that he turned away rudely to the other side and continued some time without speaking The approaches of death changing nothing in the sentiments of this exasperated Lover he caused the Commanders of his Forces to be assembled for they had carried him to the Camp and told them that he commanded them to obey Hortensius and acknowledge him for their Prince in case he would Marry Andronice hoping Ambition at length would tempt his Rivals mind and call him off from his love to Elismonda After which his reason failing him he dyed the night following You may judge Madam what a change his death caused in affairs the Princess of Elis saw now that her safety depended on Hortensius for the Prince of Cyparissa was a Prisoner and she had none to defend her interests if the Messenians would carry on their Conquests But when she was informed of the declaration Melanthus had made to Hortensius she resented extream trouble at it because knowing of all the predictions which assured he was to reign in some place she doubted least he would accept what was offered him and to be a Soveraign marry Andronice and renounce his love to her self So that the secret inclination she had for him excited a perplexity in her heart that sufficiently resembled a violent love though she concealed her sentiments After Hortensius to whom all Melanthus's Army submitted without scruple had performed the last duties to the Prince of Messenia he assembled the Officers of the Army and declared to them that he would be the first to obey the Princess Andronice and so would accept the glory of commanding them only till she were at liberty After which he sent to the Princess Elismonda to request her permission to speak with the Princess Andronice conjuring her not to refuse him a thing which might possibly produce peace This proposition augmented the jealousie of Elismonda but the generosity of her heart not suffering her to discover it she granted what Hortensius desired Accordingly this interview was made in a Temple dedicated to the Nymph Gonniades which stands between Pisa and the place where Hortensius was incamped I shall omit to tell you Madam all that was spoken in this interview because it would be too tedious At first Hortensius comforted Andronice for the death of Melanthus he related matters to her as they had passed and acknowledged to her the love he had to Elismonda and then coming to the declaration Melanthus had made in his favor I protest to you Madam said he though I were not prepossessed with an affection to the Princess Elismonda and had a whole heart to give you the respect alone I have for you would cause me to serve my self no farther with this declaration than to settle the Soveraign power in your hands without ever desiring to oblige you to do for me more than your own inclination should induce you to But since I am unfortunate and born only to be so it is fit Madam you would please to appoint me what I ought to do in relation to your iberty I know I owe my life to you and consequently ought to do
in all his actions during his Reign After he had made Alliance with the Latines he deceived them in mixing their Troops with his own when they had no Commanders of their own Nation He caused a man whose name was Herdonius to perish upon a bare surmise he caused him to be loaded with Chains and thrown into a place where he was drowned 'T is true he took the City of Pometia with some honour and he shewed himself a great Captain in that Recounter But afterwards he took the City of the Gabians by such a terrible piece of craft as if it did not more relate unto the Prince Sextus his son then unto him I would tell you the whole passage but after he had made that City desolate and put all the Riches of it into the hands of the People except what he reserved for himself he indeavoured to taste the sweets of Peace and to blind the People And for a guise upon all his injustices in ruining so many he set himself to finish that stately Temple of Jupiter whose foundation the first of the Tarquins had laid But there being many other Temples in building near the Tarpeian Rock where the foundation of this was laid and Tarquin having a mind to make this greater than the Prince who laid the first foundation intended he made no difficulty of pulling down all those Temples and not to incense the People by it he made a shew as if he would first observe the flying of the Birds but certainly the Augures were hired and though the Gods had given such an evident sign as should have restrained him yet he would have done it There was yet one Temple standing which was dedicated unto the God Thermes and Tarquin desiring to make use of all seemed to give credit unto the predictions of the Tuscans to the end that giving this example the People alwaies follow the mind of the Prince might also beleeve with him and be perswaded of what he thought good and as they were digging up the earth to lay the foundation of this stately Temple they found the head of a man whose face continued still in form and Tarquin to make some use of this accident he sent into Tuscany and procured the Divines with whom he consulted to say That it was a most certain sign that Rome as Tarquin had ordered it should be the chief City of all Italy and Mistress of all the World and indeed they gave unto that place the name of Capitol which it bears at this present So as after this he pressed forward the building of this Temple after this he made Seats and Scaffolds about the Theatre at an extraordinary expence He established two new Colonies but in doing all these things he still was doing injuries injustices and cruelties He put the eldest son of his own Sister to death he had not married his own Daughter but with an intent to be perfidious and he omitted nothing which might merit the Title of a perfect Tyrant All this while Tullia in the midst of all her Grandure she never had any content since she was upon the Throne for she was still so jealous of authority as she did not think that Tarquin gave enough unto her and that having more inhumanity to wards Tullus then he had she thought that she might at least divide with him in the Soveraign Power So as time wearing out of her heart that lovewhich she bore unto Tarquin she grew most horribly jealous for as soon as she saw this Prince regarded her no more than another woman she began not to regard him and treated him so ill that sometimes she made him go out of Rome Also she was so horribly hated there as when any took the liberty of speech they called her the detestable Tullia As for Tarquin in spight of all his Guards and Power every one called him Tarquin the Proud At the first he did not take this well and did most severely punish such men as had no other Crimes but calling him so but afterwards he was so insensibly accustomed unto it as he thought this Title not injurious nor did he take it ill men should call him so And to merit it he grew so abominably terrible as those who were his most private confidents of all his Cruelties were sometimes so terrified themselves that they durst not come near him That famous Sibyl who came unto him did yet bring him to her ends for all his cruelty and it hath been wordred a hundred and a hundred times that a Prince so violent as he was did not treat her as sharply as he was used to do others who denied him any thing Yet this Sibyl whose name was Amalthea did bring him unto her Bow though he thought to bring her unto his for when she had presented unto him the nine Books which she had composed and which were said to contain such high matters as soon as he denied her the price she demanded she burned three of them Tarquin thinking her to be out of her wits and having a Curiosity to see those which remained he asked her what she would have for them but Amalthea answering him that she would have as much for those six as she would for the nine this Prince took her for one that was absolutely mad but Amalthea without any astonishment at all took three more of the Books and burned them as she did the first insomuch as Tarquin being more astonished he changed his mind and admiring the Constancy of this Woman he asked her the third time what she would have for the last three Books and she answering as before Tarquin did verily believe that they did contain some great matters therefore he assembled the Augurers for though he made a mocking stock of Religion yet still he observed the Ceremonies But those whom he had assembled thinking it fit he should buy those Books at any rate he gave the Sibyl her demands for them after which she went her way Yet the People say she vanished and those who knew things best did say that Tullia commanded her to get out of Rome However it were these Books were to be keept as sacred and consulted with upon every thing but that Rome might feel all sorts of miseries it was infected with a most contagious disease which was so mortall especially amongst Children as there was not a family in Rome which had not some subject for tears So as since Tarquin had always the outside of Religion he sent two of his Sons unto Delphos with grand offerings A Nephew of Tarquins called Brutus went with them though his true name was Lucius Junius but they called him Brutus because his blockishness did resemble that of Brutes Yet he was in such a condition to be envied by those of the wiser sort and his folly made him more safe under the Tyranny of Tarquin than all their wisdoms could He had a father of a great spirit whom Tarquin put to death but for this man
he being harmlesly incapable of hurting any Tarquin was contented to take his estate which was very great without sacrificing him unto his cruelty I shall not insist any longer upon a particular relation of all his wickednesses nor his reasons which moved him to banish me for that would be to relate the whole History of my life which I will not mix with the story of so wicked a man Yet I must be so just as to confess that of four Children which he hath three of them deserve to have a Father less cruel and a Mother more virtuous for the second of his sons who by his first name is called Aruntius and afterwards named the Prince of Pometia because he did signalize himself at the taking of that Town is a Prince that is every way admirable the third who is called Titus is also a man of very noble inclinations and the Daughter of Tarquin who is married hath all the sweetness and modesty of a good woman But as for the Prince Sextus who is also called the young Tarquin he is much different from his Brothers though he be not so very bad as Tarquin the Proud for he is handsom of a good mind and a pleasant spirit he is naturally eloquent his Ambition is not unmeasurable he is merry frollick and of a quick fancy his inclination is to love all manner of pleasures without any distinguishing of the innocent from the Criminal and of the two he loves those of a Licentious Debauchery better than those who are not so So as having a smack of his Fathers fierceness and a little of his Mothers cruelty and mixing these two with his Libertinism and Debauchery it may well be said that he hath a hundred dangerous qualities for one good one This Sir is the Character of Tarquins Family at this day and this is the character of Tarquin himself who now intends to besiege Ardes and who maugre all his Crimes is so terrible and considerable unto all his Neighbours as no Prince in all Italy more and this Sir is the original of the famous City of Rome Herminius having ended his Relation was thanked by Artemidorus by Aronces by Amilcar and by Zenocrates for the pains he had taken and the pleasure they found in his History of the greatest City in the World and the greatest Tyrant that ever was After which reasoning upon all they had heard and considering that Love and Ambition were the chief causes of all these miseries Artemidorus wished that there were no passions in the hearts of men Oh for Heavens sake said Amilcar and smiled make no such dangerous wish since I conceive that if men had no passions in lieu of wishing to live they would wish to dye for nothing is more odious than to have a sluggish luke-warm life without either desires or fears a life that is no more sensible than that which we see in Flowers or Leaves I conceive indeed said Herminius that all pleasures have their rise from passions That is so true said Amilcar that if all the wise men of Greece should rise again I would make them all confess that all their wisdom were not worth a straw if there were no passions in the hearts of men and that wisdom were a treasure which they knew not what to do with I dare go further than so added Aronces for I am perswaded that all the heroick acts which have been done in all ages had never been done had there been no passions I do agree unto what you say replied Artemidorus but yet you must confess with me also that without the same passions few or none of all the great and abominable Crimes had been committed I do confess that replied Amilcar but I must tell you withal that as we do gather Roses though they have some sharp pricks admire the Sea though she causes many Shipwracks love the light of the Sun though sometimes it burns and love the earth though she produces dangerous as well as wholesome Plants so I say the same of Passions and all the evils of them that I should be sorry they were quite taken away from men for if they were all pleasures and delights would he taken away with them as Herminius well observed But yet I would gladly know added he and addressed himself to Zenocrates who had not spoke a word in this dispute what opinion you are of had I known what my self replied he very pleasantly and smiled I should ere this have told you but to be sincere I know not for since I am very sensible of Love I would gladly reserve that passion but otherwise I am so naturally lazy as I should not be sorry if there were no other passions in the World because I fancy that if there were none all would slumber in a continual languor of spirit and a pleasing phantasm of idleness which would be exceedingly charming As for matter of idleness you are in the right replied Amilcar for if there were no passions all brave men would have nothing to do if there were no Ambition millions of men would come and go in and out of the World without any thing they had to do in it Take the passion of Love from a Lover and he 's but an idle creature take from a brave man that which gets him honour and he will never go to the Wars Kings without Ambition might have subjects enough valiant men not having the passion of getting glory would all sit still undistinguished from Cowards I believe likewise that the fields would all lye fallow Cities and Houses would not be built men would remain dispersed in the Fields not seeking for any other lodgings than Grots such as nature shall make them And as for Ladies if there were no passions in the World I know not what they would do for they being the weaker Sex if their beauty did not cause Love in the hearts of men and that beauty hold them in obedience in lieu of force I had rather be a handsome Butterfly than a fair woman for besides their being certainly Slaves they would live in a most irksome idleness since they would not know how to spend away that time which now they employ in dressing themselves do but look upon a fair Woman in a place and at a time when she thinks none will see her nor she see any that would be enough to make one think that if Ladies did know they could never cause Love they would never take so much pains as to spend all the day in dressing themselves to be undressed again at night I once knew a Woman in Africa whom I never saw but twice yet I saw her very different for the first time I saw her she was so well drest and so handsom as she charmed me though she was but of a mean Beauty But a while after this Lady being gone into the Country in a place where she never thought to see any and being alone with her Husband I happened to come
his thoughts before he had occasion to speak to him of his passion I ingeniously confess replied he but above all I believe not to be unfaithful You have reason replied Berelisa and one cannot without doubt accuse you but of a simple inconstancy which hath even nothing which resembles infidelity for as I have already said it to speak of this kind of inconstancy in general it comes from this that those which are capable of of it are sensible to all that which appears fair to them of all which is new to their eyes and to their spirits of that which they seek to please without difficulty of that which they have any irresolution in the spirit which hinders them from chusing of that that the first youth of inconstancy have some resemblance But after all those men there which see pleasures from quarter to quarter from street to street and from house to house do not assuredly betray the person because no person trusts to them and to speak truly the inconstants of this kind only vex themselves since they have pain to attaque an hundred hearts without gaining one one hearkens to their pleasures without believing them one receives their incense without vanity one leaves them without pain one destroys them without regret and they come through the world as Butterflies on Flowers without resting on any thing and without leaving any sign of their passage likewise not doing any discourtefie to a person there would be much injustice to confound those inconstants with the unfaithful I have spoken of sure their inconstancy is without perfidiousness and superchery it is not but to say the truth it should be desired this inconstancy was banished from the heart of young persons for if it is not very criminal it is not at least laudable I will likewise consess with sincerity is not yet altogether a true inconstant and he hath only a simple disposition to be so I am obliged to you replied I for enrolling me in the number of the inconstant persons and not placing me among those which are unfaithful for it is certain I cannot suffer it But said the Prince of Messina I comprehend not wherefore those which vary in their thoughts have not infidelity You will easily be satisfied therein replied Berelisa if you consider that to make a Lover truly merit the quality of unfaithful one must suffer his affection one must hearken to him one must give him hope one must love him if a man on the contrary loves a woman without being beloved and that he hath served a long time without attaining her love he leaves her one loves another one cannot in this case place him in the number of the unfaithful nor that of the inconstant for as one loves not but for to be loved as soon as one destroys the hope Love may diein a Lovers heart without being culpable of any crime and to speak truth it is not even possible that it dies not there 'T is therefore not doing that but which one might hinder themselves from doing one leaves love without inconstancy and one cannot love otherwise without infidelity but the most odious and the most degenerate crime in the world is when there 's a concatenation of affection between two persons and that it happens one breaks the Chain for in this case there it is not a simple inconstancy it is an infidelity where inconstancy perfidiousness and baseness are found And it is in fine as I have said the greatest of all crimes in this point before you engage your self you consider not what you do you examine not your thoughts and do not well know the heart you give nor the heart you receive 'T is true said Philonice I find something very strange to see men of spirit suddenly change their thoughts But said then Lysicoris when one hath this misfortune what shall one do I will replied Berelisa one should continue to love by generosity when one cannot by inclination that in fine when one is promised an eternal affection no reason can dispense with it but the infidelity of the person one loves And in this case we must not only love her any more but hate her despise her slee from her as from a Monster and revenge our selves though ne'er thereby prejudiced For if it is a man which is unfaithful no person should force him to go to say to a woman he loves her and to tell her it often to make her love him therefore when he changes he hath no excuse in effect Probity Sincerity and Fidelity ought to be in love as all other things and more than in other things because the consequences are more dangerous being certained there is no exchange more important than the hearts of two persons which love one another But if a man is criminal of being unfaithful at least confess replied the Prince of Messina that a woman hath the same injury as a man I say replied Berelisa and I 'll maintain she hath more for as cruelty befits women in love they might take him to examine themselves ere they engage to love any one but after you have considered of it a woman accepts the heart is offered to her and that she gives hers she cannot change without insamy and truly a woman at least in my opinion cannot innocently love but once in her life besides baseness and perfidiousness which is common to her with an unfaithful man neither can one yet accuse her of imprudence or little modesty For for my part I conceive not how a woman who hath vertue and good judgment to resolve her should voluntarily renounce the love of a man to whom she hath given many testimonies of affection when she feels her love decay Nevertheless replied Philonice one sees they make no difficult to do it I am of your opinion replied Berelisa but if I was a man I should have an horrible aversion for those women But I pray said the Prince of Messina in what rank do you place those men who make a seeming love when they love not and sometimes obtain love I put them in the rank of deceivers replied she But amongst the unfaithful replied I it seems to me there are many sorts for there are some which become so because they find defects in the person they love that they noted not before and there 's others which cease to love because their own good fortune destroys their love For the first said Berelisa I sustain that when one hath solidly contracted an affection with some one there is but one only defect of love which might be a legitimate cause to break it and the loss of beauty youth change of fortune and health ought to change nothing in the hearts of two persons which have promised an eternal love but for those whose love destroys it self I find them so criminal and so odious that I boldly say 't is impossible their spirits are seasoned with any good qualities or that their heart is noble and the
change of thoughts without any strange cause is the greatest sign of imbecillity and desining of judgment and that in the end the infidelity in love from whence soever it proceedeth is the basest and criminallest thing in the World all other duties of life approach not the ingagement of this because one is born subject to all the others and this is by a voluntary subjection one makes it a law to himself which ought to be as much more inviolable as one imposes it and one cannot infringe it without condemning himself without destroying his own pleasures without blemishing his Honour without trampling Justice and Virtue under his feet All that which you say is admirably well said replied the Prince of Messina but above all if in despight one hath of it one feels one loves no more what shall one do then I will as I have already told you that one loves by generosity when one cannot love more by inclination and I will if one can no more love that one constrains himself therefore to act as if one loves not yet since that it is in this occasion only that it permits to deceive innocently and that it is even good to do it at least I know well that if one act otherwise one must resolve to be hated and despised of all persons which have Virtue and Reason for I confess to you that I know not how one hath boldness to shew himself in the World after a perfidiousness of this nature nevertheless there is found women which shew themselves replied I. And there is likewise sound men added Philonice which leaves not to love them Ah for these men there said then Berelisa it is assuredly they should not be too delicate in love nor in generosity for for my part if I was a man it would be impossible for me to love a person which should act any infidelity But yet said the Prince of Messina without knowing the Interest she had in this Question which excuse you more sooner whether a man who should love a woman which should have made an infidelity to another or of a Lover a Lady should have betrayed and which would renew affection with her In my opinion replied Berelisa blushing I cannot ballance these two things for he which should have suffered infidelity would be more condemnable than another that at least might flatter himself with the opinion to have more merit than he which should have been abandoned Nevertheless added she to make Artemidorus speak I should be glad but for this Article one demands that he seemeth of it to all men in the company You are so equitable in all things said then Artemidorus who had not yet spoken that your thoughts should be those of all honest persons and for my part I declare I approve all that you have said and even all that which you think For my part replied I I am not so complaisant for I find both have an equal wrong And I added the Prince of Messina I think that a Lover who hath conquered the heart of a woman ought if he can reconquer it when he hath lost it for what knows he but he will find it better But it may be he may find it worse said Berelisa Though it should be so replied Philonice I find Berelisa hath very well made the distinction between Inconstancy and Infidelity I confess to you Madam replied she I have not said the third part of what I think for better to understand it one must after to have separated the inconstant from the faithful one must I say divide the unfaithful between them and the inconstant there are unfaithful persons by weakness by interest by capriciousness and by impiety and there is likewise inconstant persons of temperament of occasion of vanity of little judgement of debility of wantonness and of idleness If you will examine these divers things said I to her 't would require doubtless much time As one accuses to be a demy-inconstant replied Philonice I see well you fear that one puts you not in the rank of those of which Berelisa would speak but since you take no interest to infidelity and that you have never loved long enough to be unfaithful I would willingly demand of you which of the two a woman should love best in the necessity to suffer infidelity Ah Madam interrupted Berelisa always thinking on Artemidorus I put no comparison between these two things for a man which leaves one woman to love another or a woman which breaks with a lover for a new ingagement commits a more outragious action than if a lover diminishes by little and little For my part replied Lysicoris I am not of your opinion and I know nothing more cruel or more ouragious than when without any strange cause one sees the fire extinct for in this estate one knows not what to do to retain such a lover I have had a friend to whom this adventure was hapned who told me the fantastical things in the World to exaggerate to me her grief for said she one day to me I am the same I was when he of whom I complain was deeply in love with me my mirrour and my eyes speak the same and all those who approach me confirm me by their flatteries I am not deceived I am likewise pleasant and as faithful as ever I have no less spirit and he is not the same he was yet added she if any amiable Person hath deprived me of him I should have the consolation to hate her I should find a hundred inventions to displease her I should even think her adulation had attracted him that novelty had charmed him and in continuance of time he would repent himself of his infidelity and return to me but ye think being as it is one would say he hath forgotten to love and that he remembers not to have loved I know not likewise what to do neither to remit love in his heart nor to hate him though I know there 's nothing more outragious than to cease to love in this manner because it must of necessity be supposed I have no puissant charms since I cannot keep an heart I had conquered that no person deprives me of it After this pursued Lysicoris I have nothing more to tell you to assert my opinion since the complaints of my friends I have reported sum up all my reasons If you have no better replied Berelisa it will be easie to vanquish you since 't is certain there 's no comparison to make between these two sorts of Infidelities one cannot imagine but he ceases to love without making any new love doth it not but because a certain scrupulous sagacity perswades him this passion is a weakness or that being of those men who can stay long in any place he is troubled at his own conquest so that to reason well one may say that a Lover of this nature renders himself worthy of the despisal of her whom he abandons without one may positively say that